February 2020 – Page 3 – Ladies of Mystery

Last month I decided I’m going to go full in on publishing cozy mysteries and put my romance on hold for a while. I also decided I’m going to independently publish my cozies instead of pursuing traditional publishing.

You know what? As soon as I made the decision I felt relieved and lighter. I felt immediately relieved to take control of my publishing career. But it also felt weird. I’d envisioned a different path and a different genre for my career since 2005.

I think that all of my experiences led me to this point where I’m pursuing what really makes me happy right now and that’s writing happy little murder stories.

I’m going to take you all on this journey with me as I work toward launching my debut novel later this year. I’ll share decisions I’m making, challenges I encounter, tips and wins.

I decided to publish my cozies under a new pen name: Lisa Kinley. I’ve used Lisa Leoni as my romance identity for so long and I didn’t want to muddy the waters with another genre. Plus, Kinley is a Scottish name and I just loved the idea of adding another Scotland-related thing to my life 🙂

My release date isn’t settled yet, but I have a plan of attack to work toward that point. First priority is to get my debut polished as much as I can on my own. I’m in a developmental editing class and I think that’s going to help a lot. I’m also starting a self publishing course next month.

I’m planning to get several kinds of editing done so I can identify my strengths and weaknesses for future books. I’m also in the early stages of shopping for a cover artist. The prospect of working with someone to design covers for the stories in my head is so exciting!

I’m still debating launch strategies, but I’m currently leaning toward preparing the first three to launch close together then work on writing more in the series.

Getting ready to publish my books is exciting and exhilarating in so many ways. Deciding on the elements of my stories that are important to me has been fun. I want to write plus-sized protagonists and I can! I can write fat sleuths all the live long day. Also, I’ve always been entrepreneurial. I was the silly kid selling handmade bracelets in front of my parent’s house as a young kid. I should probably note that we lived on a cul-de-sac… Not a lot of traffic.

It’s also intimidating. Everything is on your shoulders and the financial start-up costs can be hefty when combining the editing and cover art. Plus, I’m responsible for my own deadlines which is going to be tough considering I’m very externally motivated.

All in all, I can’t wait to see how this year goes! It’s going to be fun to think about the progress I make as I come back each month to write in this wonderful space.

Do you indie publish? Any advice for a newbie? If you’re a cozy reader, what do you love to see on covers?

One more note (#ShamelessSelfPromo) – I’m also a social media coach for authors. I’ll be launching a class soon all about social media content strategy and helping authors figure out what to post on your accounts, how much to talk about your books, time saving tips, and more. I have an email sign-up if you want to be the first to know when it’s ready!

Hi Ladies of Mystery, thank you for having me.

I write in two different genres, suspense and contemporary romance. Years ago, I found an old romantic suspense novel in a friend’s basement and read it. I was hooked and thought what could be more exciting than combining the thrill of falling in love while wondering if you will solve a mystery and stay alive. So, I wrote my first romantic suspense, Shattered Rules. My current suspense is Dangerous Web

After spending a great deal of time with the villains in my suspense books, I needed a change of pace and decided to write a contemporary romance and so, Her Country Heart a Sierra Creek Novel was written. I now look forward to spending time in my imaginary small-town of Sierra Creek, California where strong men and determined women intersect. If you love cowboys and independent women check out Her Country Heart.

I’m a pantser rather than a plotter, though I don’t work backwards, I often know the end of a book before the beginning. Whether I’m writing a suspense or a small-town romance, I begin the first chapter even though not all the characters and the plot twist are understood. Still, I have visualized the ending, sometimes writing the last scene first.

In both my suspense and contemporary novels, the characters have difficulties to overcome. The males are strong but may be a wounded hero. The women are determined to make changes in their lives in order to manage their future. All my characters must cope with their passion as each fight to discover a hidden strength and work their way toward a lifelong goal.

My Suspense Series: Dangerous Web, coming next Dangerous Money and Dangerous Denial.

Dangerous Web

A web of intrigue brings the reader into the world of black ops, mystery, and desire.

Emma lives a quiet life. When the past returns to threaten her present, is the key to her safety the man offering protection? Does he have secrets that will put her in greater danger?

Webb lives undercover and never lets anyone get too close. However, in his current perilous situation, Emma is the only one he can trust. Still, if he accepts her aid, he might be putting her in jeopardy. Can he justify involving her? Will he be able to manage his growing desire for Emma? 5.0 out of 5 stars Amazon A non-stop suspense from the first chapter until the end!

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07XXNBDXV

Reggi studied creative writing and screen writing at University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and was a past chapter president of Romance Writers of America (RWA).

When she is not writing, she enjoys viewing romantic movies with her hubby and searching antique shops for vintage tea cups and saucers. Her dogs make sure she gets exercise by going on long walks with them.

She enjoys hearing from readers. Follow her on Bookbub, Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, allauthor.com