It’s Been a Bit Stressful Around Here

March 28, 2016March 21, 2016 ~ marilynm

I’m writing about my own stress. It began with my husband getting sick–it seemed sudden, but looking back it really wasn’t. After a visit to the ER he ended up with a pacemaker, then a blood clot in his arm. The pacemaker is working great and medicine is taking care of his arm.

Blurb for A Crushing Death:

A pile of rocks is found on a dead body beneath the condemned pier, a teacher is accused of molesting a student, the new police chief is threatened by someone she once arrested for violent attacks on women, and Detective Milligan’s teenage daughter has a problem.

Buy link:

http://www.amazon.com/Crushing-Death-Rocky-Bluff-P-D/dp/1610092260/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457618775&sr=8-1&keywords=A+Crushing+Death+by+F.M.+Meredith

Because I have a new book out, I’ve been busily promoting and setting up some in-person events. The first happens this Saturday, the 27th at 10 a.m. at the Nipomo Library with the Central Coast Sisters in Crime. Because there was a glitch with the cover, the books didn’t get printed when they were supposed to and a rush order is supposed to be delivered on Wednesday. Fingers crossed, because I’m headed to the cost on Friday.

Of course the cover issue was a biggie, I had to send the corrected cover to the 30 hosts of my blog tour beginning April 15 and going on through May 11.

Beginning April 1st an earlier book in the Rocky Bluff P.D. series, Murder in the Worst Degree, will be free on Kindle until April 5th. http://www.amazon.com/Murder-Worst-Degree-Rocky-Bluff-ebook/dp/B00JFKAH9A/ref=sr_1_1_twi_kin_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1458566324&sr=8-1&keywords=Murder+in+the+Worst+Degree

That took some coordinating with my publisher and setting up some advertising sites. Of course the whole point of doing this is to interest readers in the rest of the series.

April 12, I’ll be speaking to two high school classes, always fun.

On the 14rh, at 10 a.m., I’m giving a talk at the Porterville Library about where I get my ideas.

Also this is late because I didn’t realize it was the 4th Monday, which is my day.

Please forgive me for being late and venting about my stress.

Marilyn Meredith aka F. M. Meredith

Writing About Something I Know Little About

February 15, 2016February 18, 2016 ~ marilynm ~ 6 Comments

This is something that I often do. I’m working on my next Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery and it has a lot to do with wild fires. I’m not a firefighter, except for one retired fireman married to my cousin, I have none in my family. (Cousin’s hubby wouldn’t be helpful because he fought city fires.)

Fortunately, I have a friend who is also in my critque group who has been a volunteer fireman for years and often works on the big forest fires around the state. Believe me, I’ve truly picked his brain.

I’m good at this because of course, I’ve never been a resident deputy sheriff either. Living where I do, we’ve had several I’ve become acquainted with over the years. In fact, I wrote an article for the newspaper about the woman who inspired me to write about a female deputy sheriff. As for the real-life deputies who came after her, the first was a layed-back guy who had some traits that I borrowed for Tempe. Even the more gung-ho type we have now was kind enough to let me see inside his truck so I’d know what one looked like.

And for all of us writing about murder–I doubt that many of us have known a murderer personally or what really makes one do what the or she has done. But it hasn’t stopped any of us from writing about murderers and the acts they commit.

What I think that says for all of us is that we’re good at researching what we want to know and have incredibly lively imaginations. And of course, we’re counting on our readers to be transported to the world that we’ve created.

What else can you think of that helps you to write about people and subjects you really don’t know much about?

Marilyn who also writes as F.M. Meredith

Oh My, I Forgot!

January 25, 2016 ~ marilynm ~ 19 Comments

In my defense, I was thinking I was supposed to post on the last Monday, when actually it’s the 4th Monday, which is today and almost over.

I’d decided to write about “good” authors and “bad” authors, but not good and bad in the way you might think. I’m not referring to how someone writes, but rather, how someone acts.

Over the years, I’ve been around many popular or big name authors–and some who are only big name authors in the own minds.

In my experience, most of the most popular and well-known authors are friendly and nice, even to authors who aren’t as popular or well-known. Here are a few who come to mind: Mary Higgins Clark is probably at the top of my list because I’ve met her twice, once at a small mystery conference years and years ago, and the many years later at the Editors and Agents cocktail party in New York before the Edgars. She greeted me like we were old friends– and introduced me to her then new husband. She chatted with me for several minutes. A truly classy lady.

William Kent Krueger, who has won many awards for his writing, I’ve met many times over the years at various conferences and conventions. He always acts like he’s happy to see me and asks after my husband.

I can name others, but you get the idea.

Then there are those who are on the opposite end of the spectrum. I’m not going to name names, but here are a few examples. There’s a quite popular author whom I ran into many times–but no matter how friendly I greet her, she acts like she has never seen me before or that perhaps I’ve turned invisible. I’ve seen her do that with others too, so know it’s not just me.

There have been a couple of times I’ve been on panels with authors who acted like I didn’t have the right to be seated by them–and certainly didn’t want to waste any time listening to what I had to say.

One more example, a writer who declared that far too many authors with small publishers attended a particular conference.

Guess what? I’ve never purchased another book by the above authors. No, of course it’s not going to hurt them any, but I know I wouldn’t enjoy reading something written by them once I knew their true feelings.

I’m not a “popular” or “well-known” author, but I if I were, I know that I’d be the kind of author that I am now–approachable and friendly.

Have any of you had experiences with the “good” and the “bad”?

Marilyn Meredith who is also know as F. M. Meredith

What Does it Take to Write Nearly 40 Books?

December 28, 2015December 10, 2015 ~ marilynm ~ 10 Comments

That was the topic I was given by a new Sisters of Crime group when I was invited to come and speak. Here are some of the things I told them:

I didn’t get published until I was a grandmother, but I’d been writing since I was a kid. And I read everything I could get my hands on.

My first book to be published was an historical family saga based in my mother’s genealogy. That wasn’t so easy–it was rejected nearly 30 times, and rewritten over and over–before it was finally accepted. So that meant I had it made, right? Not so, the editor that took the first book moved on. When I sent in the book written about my father’s genealogy, the new editor wasn’t interested. Took a long time before I found another publisher–and many more rejections.

The point is I wasn’t easily discouraged–and despite many set-backs (crooked publishers, publishers who died, agents who did nothing) I kept plugging away.

When I finished the two family sagas, I wondered what I should write next? What did I like to read? Mysteries–so writing one seemed what I should do next.

I started with a book I called The Astral Gift. It found a publisher right away–one of the crooks. It has been republished twice, once by the first publisher of my Deputy Tempe Crabtree series, and again by the publisher of my Rocky Bluff P.D. series.

The first book in the Rocky Bluff P.D. series, Final Respects, was published as an e-book long before anyone had a clue what that meant, and there was no such thing as an e-reader. Another publisher picked up the first two books in the series, but wasn’t a good relationship. A new publisher published the next two books in the series, and then decided not to continue as a publisher. The fifth, No Sanctuary, was picked up by Oak Tree Press who also reprinted the earlier books, and is still the publisher of that series.

The publisher of the first four books in the Deputy Tempe Crabtree series passed away. The series is now being published by Mundania Press.

In between all of this, I wrote other books, psychological horror, Christian horror, and my romance with a touch of the supernatural, and a few others that never got published for one reason or another.

I’ve left out many of the set-backs and problems I faced, but I’m sure you’ve gotten the idea and the reasons I’ve had nearly forty books published. It’s really quite simple:

I learned from rejections and was willing to rewrite.
Nothing that happened discouraged me.
Most importantly, I kept on writing.

Marilyn Meredith, who also writes under the name F. M. Meredith

What I’m Thankful For, Yes, it is that Time of the Year

November 23, 2015November 10, 2015 ~ marilynm ~ 7 Comments

Isn’t it a good thing that we can reflect on all the things we’re thankful for?

I’m thankful for my beliefs–my God and my church. And of course I’m thankful for my husband I’ve had all these many years.

I have a wonderful and big family and I’m thankful so many of them will be sitting around our Thanksgiving table–and I’m thankful for all the Thanksgivings in the past. I’m also thankful for my health and ability to still cook and host a big dinner.

I’m thankful for my writing and that I still enjoy doing it. I’m also thankful for those who read my books and let me know that they’ve enjoyed them.

And I’m thankful that I’ve sent my next Rocky Bluff P.D. mystery off to my publisher.

For fun, I’m offering one of my older books, Lingering Spirit, for .99 cents on Kindle from December 7- 11. No, it’s not a mystery, it’s a romance with a touch of the supernatural. It’s actually one of my favorite books as it’s based on something that happened in our family–of course fictionalized, but containing a lot of truth.

http://www.amazon.com/Lingering-Spirit-Marilyn-Meredith-ebook/dp/B017J2QEOM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1447170247&sr=1-1&keywords=lingering+spirit+by+marilyn+meredith&pebp=1447170266835&perid=0VDJD62KDMGW88SB2TX0

Blurb:

After her police officer husband is killed in the line of duty, Nicole Ainsworth struggles with the changes forced on her life. Her efforts to focus on her daughters and cope with her grief are kept off-balance by images of Steve, her deceased husband who seems to be trying to communicate with her. Eventually, Nicole finds that Steve isn’t the only one watching over her, and discovers a second chance at happiness.

And I’m thankful for everyone who takes the time to read this blog.

Marilyn