Got a Clue?

One of the reasons I LOVE to read mysteries and adventure stories is sorting through clues and figuring out the problems as the story unfolds. In mysteries, romantic suspense books and thrillers, the discovery of the clues and the resulting action and adventure are what drive the plot. I admit it -- I love the thrill of the hunt, the misdirection, red herrings, false clues, relationship drama and ,ultimately, the final twist and denouement. It's so much fun!

When I was a kid, I loved to play the board game Clue. I still do. My ten-year-old son and I play all the time. It's an activity we enjoy doing together, and I like knowing I'm stimulating my son's observation and deductive skills. Not surprisingly, Velma is our favorite character on the Scooby Doo gang. Why? Because she looks for CLUES! She thinks. She deduces. She's the brains behind the operation. Her clue assembly and observation skills leads to the resolution of the mystery. She figures out things piece-by-piece, clue-by-clue. For her, the devil is in the details. Mystery solved. Jinkies!

As a reader, I love a good conundrum, a puzzling twist, a plot that is mysterious, adventurous and interesting. I actively look for books with these elements. As a writer, I like to add those elements to my stories because I enjoy writing them as much as like reading them! And now I'm excited to announce that not only am I going to be reading and writing about clues ... I'm going to have the opportunity to actually PLAY a character in a Clue-like murder mystery. On March 17, 2018, in Cincinnati, Ohio, I've been invited to participate in...A DINNER TO DIE FOR! It's a reader event, where authors and readers all have a part to play in a dinner murder mystery. It's a Saturday of meeting mystery authors,  getting books signed, lunch, and a dinner where YOU get to follow the clues! It's all so exciting!

If you are interested in attending the event, please check out the details HERE. I would love to meet you! I will be dressed as one of the Clue characters (I'm not telling which one yet) and attendees will have roles to play...possibly even the killer! It's going to be a wonderful day of books, mysteries and lots and lots of clues! Hope to see you there!

Now, tell me, what do you like best about your mystery novels?

~Julie Moffett 

For more information on Julie's books and her humorous, geeky Lexi Carmichael mystery series, check out her website here.

I SPY: FIGURING OUT SOCIAL MEDIA

When I started out writing my first book in 1991, there was no such thing as social media. An author wrote a book, got an agent or sent a manuscript to a publisher ourselves where it went into what was known as the "slush pile." After writing the book, the biggest responsibilities we had were edits, proofs and an occasional book signing. Maybe once or twice a year, I sent a newsletter. That was it.

Fast forward to today's world for writers. Authors are required to be savvy marketing specialists. We must network. We must advertise. Our presence on social media is critical. We need to be everywhere. We require a profile on every platform (some personal, some business). We should act natural, but fascinating, and interact in a friendly, responsible and yet exciting way so everyone will find us and our books irresistible and buy oodles of copies.

Aaagh! It's too much. How do we sort it all out?

Every marketing specialist seems to have a different view of what platforms authors need to cultivate to sell books. I'm not here to tell you which one to choose (I can barely make that decision for myself), but at least I can give you a general idea of some of the more popular ones, as of 2017, and what kind of audience you are catering to there. Armed with that knowledge, hopefully you can determine which ones you are the most comfortable with and where you want to invest your time and presence.

For the purpose of this article, I'm not going to address messaging apps such as Whatsapp, QQ, Skype, Viber and WeChat since those are more for personal, interactive communication. This article is directed more for writers who are trying to judge where to spend their most time on social media with the most return on their investment, depending on their unique needs, audiences and comfort level.

Facebook: It's the largest of the social media sites. It surpassed 1 billion users worldwide A MONTH in 2016. I feel pretty confident in saying that if you're an author and you don't have a presence there -- you should. If you decide to go this route -- get a business page. A personal page is optional, but you should claim a page for your books and start building a base. Keep in mind, Facebook users tend to be older, about 35 and up. Not to say there aren't younger people here, too, but this is not their hangout of choice.

Tumblr: I didn't realize how big Tumblr is, but it has more than 555 million users monthly worldwide. That's pretty darn huge. This site is primarily for bloggers, but you can use it to post anything -- photos, recipes, your latest blog or whatever. The age range for this platform is all over the place for this one, because it caters to bloggers, young and old.

Instagram: Instagram is largely a video and picture-sharing platform. This platform is slightly skewed toward younger viewers who enjoy looking at photos or videos without having to read too much. Facebook now owns Instagram, so if you have Facebook, you can easily and simply integrate your accounts. There are about 400 million users a month.

Twitter: This is a challenging platform for writers because you only get 140 characters to say what you want to say. This platform is quickly gaining in popularity because brevity is key with this platform. There are also lots of advertising opportunities and it is evenly divided between younger and older users, which is a good way to all ages in one swoop. As of the end of 2016, Twitter had about 320 million monthly users.

Google+: I have a nephew who works at Google, so of course, I have a Google+ account. Unfortunately, other than to talk with him, I don't use it. It's similar in some ways to Facebook, but not nearly as popular. However, it does has cool video-conferencing features and the ability to advertise using business pages. I personally think this is an untapped market, for me at least. There are about 300 million users.

Snapchat: If you have a YA book or want to reach out to a younger audience, you need to be here. It's all about the pictures. Photos stay up only for a brief time and then are deleted as soon as you view them. It's a fast and furious environment, but in addition to posting photos, you can access news and live recordings. This is a very fast growing platform with about 200 million users a month. I think it's only going to get bigger faster. I would recommend snagging a profile now and worry about figuring it out later (okay, that's my plan, not that I'm EVER going to get it figured out).

Pinterest: This platform grew out of the craft industry and is a great place to "pin" ideas for travel, cooking, writing and a variety of other projects. It's visually-based with pictures of your ideas instead of text. Approximate users -- around 100 million users a month. Audience tends to be a bit older.

LinkedIn: This is a professional networking site and is focused on interacting with the intent of connecting people for professional and industry reasons. It is evolving in many ways, but it doesn't hurt to post a profile on the page. There are about 100 million users a month.

YouTube: Got a book trailer? Want to enhance your sales by talking directly to your fans with a recorded video? Then YouTube may be the way to go. Create your own channel and post your own videos. Who know? Maybe you can become the next Internet sensation. This is the world's largest video-sharing site. It's very popular with the younger crowd, but older people are also becoming more and more invested.

Stage 32: This is a social network similar to Facebook, but for individuals who work in film, screenplays, television and theater.

Wattpad: This is an online storytelling social media site where you can post excerpts of your books or works in progress. Very popular with a younger crowd, but it is gaining more traction with older folks as well.

There are literally dozens, hundreds, more sites, but I wanted to outline the most popular ones for you. Keep in mind, many of these platforms can be linked together, so one post can go to a multitude of places. I would recommend exploring that option if you can.

For example, my Facebook Author page is linked to my Twitter profile. My Instagram account is connected to both my Tumblr and Twitter accounts. I have a LinkedIn profile (although it more prominently features my day job position) and my own YouTube channel. I have Pinterest, Google+, Wattpad and Snapchat accounts, too. Do I have a clue what I'm doing on all of them? Absolutely not. Am I active on all of them? Nope. In fact, I haven't even figured out how to get a profile picture on Snapchat yet. Aaagh! But I'm pretty active on a few of the social media sites where I feel comfortable. I do try to post something occasionally on everything else.

I think everyone has to figure out what works best for them. Hopefully, I've given you a little knowledge to show you where the most people around the world are showing up.

Sooooooo...good luck! Oh, and by the way, if you want to follow or "like" me on ANY of my platforms listed below, feel free to click on them! I'll follow or like you back. :)

Julie's Facebook Author Page
Twitter
Instagram
Tumblr
Pineterest
Stage 32
Wattpad: (You have to download the app on your phone. I'm: @JulieMoffettAuthor).
Snapchat: (You have to download the app on your phone. I'm: juliemoffett4)


Julie's latest book, NO LIVING SOUL, featuring geek extraordinaire, Lexi Carmichael released on January 2, 2017 and is available across all online platforms. Click here to see the book on Amazon.

CONFESSIONS OF A NON-TECHIE

   
 I've been blessed with the ability to sing, act, stage manage, and write; learned to balance a checkbook and as Hilly sings in "On the Town," I Can Cook too," but ... I admit to being a technical "dummie," and the green-eyed monster lands on my shoulder whenever a friend brags about their absolutely brilliant, nerdy son, daughter or grandchild. The one they call whenever their computer does something that ties them up in knots. 
     When a problem and solution is nowhere to be found in Windows 10 or Microsoft Word for Dummies or scattered over several different chapters--well it could drive a person crazy (sorry Stephen Sondheim.) I am driven to making a cheat sheet and I passionately miss my old XP--it was so easy to find what I needed. Microsoft discarded the program because of age--isn't that discrimination?
     I heard the new Office was much like the old XP--just prettier--but remember that old cliche, "pretty is as pretty does?" I suppose if this generation was my generation, I would love the games, the streaming, the music and the myriad choices of social networks but what is--is--and technology has opened a whole new world so each day I take a deep breath, open the "help" books, use the "Tell me what you want to know" feature, pick up a pad and pencil and adapt.
     Finally managed to begin a new article, transfer stories and sold pieces to my new "friend," and try to climb the next mountain--transferring photos. Received gobbledygook when I tried to transfer photos from a CD-RW and while I can scan a photo, I can't transfer photos from my camera although the photos show in the little window on the printer and it reads PRINT. On my monitor a message appears asking whether I'm connected (doesn't that sound a bit like an insult?)


     This week I will contact a member of the Geek Squad who will be--to me--this generation's answer to Sherlock Holmes. I will be relieved and my work will continue but I will also feel like a relic from a forgotten age. does anyone else ever get that feeling?

THE BEST HOLIDAY GIFTS FOR WRITERS

Well, the holidays are upon us so that means gift giving galore for most of us. While it's great to get that comfy pair of slippers and a fuzzy sweater, the writer in us longs for specific gifts. Not sure what they are? No problem. Grab a pen and a piece of paper because I'm here to help you find just the right gift for that writer in your life.

THE BEST GIFTS FOR WRITERS

1.) TIME.  For writers (especially those with children) the most precious gift is the TIME. Time alone time to plot, think and actually write. Offer to babysit or take their kids somewhere. You will get so many bonus points as a friend/spouse/companion for giving this that you will end up gifting yourself in terms of gratitude from said writer.

2.) A TRIP TO A WRITER'S RETREAT/CONFERENCE. Give the writer in your life the chance to go away on a writer's retreat or conference. This is important because writing is a solitary profession and writers NEED that connection with other writers to commiserate the hardships or celebrate in the milestones that only other writers can understand. This can be a monetary gift, making the arrangements for the conference/retreat or watching the house/cat/children while the writer goes away.

3.) EXTRA MONEY FOR PROMO. These days writers are not only writers, but they must also be marketing whizzes as well. Since most of us are trying to figure out how the heck to do this right, we need to experiment a bit with advertising. A little extra support in the promo budget would be very welcome. If you are flush and want to offer the gift of a personal assistant -- well, I freaking guarantee you that will go over WAY better than a diamond bracelet.

4.) BUY THE BOOK. Buy the writer's book and encourage all your friends/family/co-workers to do the same. Talk up the writer to everyone you know and be sincerely proud of their hard work. This is a low cost gift, but would be much appreciated.

5.) WRITE A REVIEW. This is a no-cost gift in terms of cash, but the gratitude you will receive from the writer in your life will come back to you tenfold. A kind word-of-mouth about the writer's books and a review or two will be very well received, I promise you.

Every writer is different and each writer will want different things. My advice is to ask the author in your life what they need to support their writing. The fact that you asked will also earn you bonus points.

By the way, if you are MY friend and you want to know what to get ME for the holidays -- my latest book, NO ROOM FOR ERROR, the seventh book in my geeky, mystery series was just released and is available for purchase here. Hint, hint!

Good luck with your gift giving and Happy Holidays!  Love, Julie

JUST GO FOR IT

I was in the second grade when I decided I was going to be a writer. My first full-length novel featured Princess Tina and Prince Val who managed to overcome all obstacles (like whether it was okay if Tina liked macaroni and cheese and Val didn't) to marry each other and live happily ever after in a castle. The people of the kingdom were so besotted by the young couple they declared a national holiday and called it Valentine's Day. The handwritten and self-illustrated (with crayons) book was a best-seller among the girls in the second grade, while all the boys held their noses and said, "Ewwwwwww."

The second grade passed and so did the years. My love for writing remained, but I explored other things. I was a cheerleader, played the flute and bells, and tried girl's basketball and ice hockey. I volunteered on political campaigns, learned several different languages, and had an extended stint on my college newspaper. My love of writing and travel landed me a dream job in international journalism, which was fantastic until I had kids. Then it was time to move on to something new. It wasn't until my 10 year high school reunion, when I was filling out a questionnaire (that I happened to have written), that I had an epiphany. I stopped when I came to the last question ... "What is it that you always wanted to accomplish, but haven't yet?" I sat back and realized my dream of writing a novel hadn't ever materialized. So, I decided to bring the dream to fruition.

I took a very practical approach and researched the publishing landscape. At the time, over 50% of the mass market paperback was in romance novels, with all other genres making up the other 50%. Based on those calculations, I decided that I would have the best chance of breaking into the market by writing a romance. So, what started with Princess Tina and Prince Val, ended with the release of a Scottish historical romance FLEETING SPLENDOR, my first published novel.

Today I am celebrating the release of my fifteenth novel, a geeky humorous mystery titled NO WOMAN LEFT BEHIND. The release is a true milestone and one I built on love, sweat and tears. A lot of tears. But I wouldn't change a thing. Because I went for it. I stretched out a hand. I planned. I worked hard. I brought my dream to fruition.

So, if you have a dream, what are you waiting for? If you want it, go for it. If you wait or wish without action, then you will only ever wonder whether you could make that dream come true. By chasing that dream, you may be surprised how quickly you can reach it.

Taking on the Series Challenge

Writing a series is a lot different than writing a stand-alone book. When an author sits down to plan out a series, it’s like writing multiple books at once. Each book has to have a singular plot, but all the books have to be working together toward a series finale. 

If this is a series that involves the same main character, then all additional main characters, their personalities, growth, issues and challenges all have to be mapped out in coordination with an overall series arc. A series requires a lot of foresight, planning and long-term character development. Plots should be at least lightly sketched out for a few books in advance. If you have an exact number of books planned for your series, then it's even easier. It’s helpful if you have a clear idea of where you want to go with your characters and how you want them to change over the course of the books.

It can all seem daunting, but it is also a lot fun. Personally, I love to revisit my characters in novel after novel. In many ways they have become like family to me. It's fun to plot their activities and watch their growth as people, lovers and friends.

Obviously, I like to write series. The latest book in my humorous, geek mystery series, NO TEST FOR THE WICKED, came out December 1. It’s the fifth book (actually the sixth because there is a novella in the mix) and Lexi Carmichael and her friends are back again for another adventure.

Lexi Carmichael, geek girl extraordinaire, is headed to high school. Again. Returning to high school is not something she ever wanted to do over—it was awful the first time around. So why do she have to go back as part of a new undercover assignment? Because the universe loves playing jokes on her, obviously.

She’s been ordered to go all 21 Jump Street and track down the students who are breaking into the computer system, changing grades, and causing all kinds of havoc. Although she’s not thrilled about her new gig, at least it gives her something to do other than worry over the fact that she now has a boyfriend. And no freaking idea what to get him for Christmas.

Or it did give her something else to worry about, until she stumbled across a more sinister threat. Lexi is shocked to find distinct traces of a group of international hackers inside the network. Why would dangerous cyber mercenaries be interested in a high school in the middle of Washington, D.C.? What exactly has she gotten herself into?

So, what do you think of series? Love them, prefer a stand-alone novel or a mixture of both?

HERE COME THE GEEKS!

The fourth book in my geeky cyber mystery series, NO PLACE LIKE ROME, drops this Monday, November 25, and I'm pretty excited about it! 

For those of you not familiar with the series, Lexi is a geek first-class—a gamer, hacker, book nerd and fangirl who double-majored in mathematics and computer science and has zero social skills. Her day job for a hot new cyber-intelligence firm has landed her an exciting case on behalf of the sexiest uberhacker in the universe, code-named Slash. Slash's uncle in Rome has been accused of siphoning money from the Vatican Bank and it’s up to Lexi to hunt the hacker and clear his name.

Here is a short excerpt from the book:

I’ve loved listening to music since I was a little girl. Not because I’m musically gifted, but because notes, themes, chords and tempo all have an intrinsic mathematical logic that speaks to me. After all, music is defined by its numeric divisions, such as a beat, a measure or a bar. Musical scales are actually harmonics based on the numerical ratios present in the Fibonacci series, which are a sequence of integers beginning at zero and one and continuing with each new number being the sum of the previous two.

I know all of this because I’m a geek first-class. My name is Lexi Carmichael and I’m a mild-mannered twenty-five-year old who, thankfully for music aficionados, is not employed in any part of the music industry. By day, I work as the Director of Information Security at a hot new cyber-intelligence firm just outside of Washington, D.C. By night, I’m a gamer, book nerd and fangirl (Bond, Star Wars, Dr. Who, Lord of the Rings). I’ve got long brown hair, no discernible curves and zip in the social skills department. I double-majored in mathematics and computer science at Georgetown University with a specialty in cybersecurity. Ask me to talk about a rigorous axiomatic framework or computational complexity theory, and I’m all over it. Ask me to make small talk and I’ll imagine myself jumping off a bridge.

Haven’t tried a Lexi Carmichael adventure yet? Well, you’re in luck! The first book in the series NO ONE LIVES TWICE, is now available everywhere ebooks are sold for ***FREE***.  But hurry, this offer ends on November 30!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FROM CARINA PRESS OR HERE TO DOWNLOAD FROM AMAZON.COM OR HERE FOR BARNESANDNOBLE.COM.

So, who is your favorite geek of all time? Albert Einstein? Sheldon Cooper? Copernicus? Vint Cerf? Thomas Edison? Inquiring minds want to know!  :)

Julie Moffett is a bestselling and award-winning author who writes in the genres of mystery, historical romance and paranormal romance. Learn more about Julie and her books on Facebook, Twitter and her website. She has won numerous awards, including the EPIC 2011 Award for Best Action/Adventure Novel, PRISM Award for Best Romantic Time-Travel and Best of the Best Paranormal Books of 2002. She has also garnered several nominations for the Daphne du Maurier Award, the Holt Medallion and the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence.