Past and Future Events

On Wednesday, November 13th, I visited the Briargate Library branch of the PPLD (Pikes Peak Library District) in Colorado Springs, Colorado. I met with about a dozen members of the Mystery Book Club there to discuss Deadly Currents, the first book in my RM Outdoor Adventures series starring whitewater river ranger Mandy Tanner, which they selected to read this month. We also talked about my writing life and my other mystery series, the Claire Hanover gift basket designer series, specifically the third book, A Basket of Trouble, which was officially released on November 8th.

I had a great time with the group and it's moderator, librarian Missy Hernandez, as you can see from the photos below (Missy is in the first one with me). I love talking to book clubs, and if you would like to invite me to visit yours, in-person or remotely via technology, take a look at the Book Clubs page of my website and contact me to arrange a visit.

This coming Saturday, November 30th, I will make two more appearances along the front range of Colorado. If you live nearby, I hope you will stop by and say hi! The first appearance at Covered Treasures is part of IndieBound's nationwide "Indies First Small Business Saturday" event in which over 500 independent bookstores are hosting more than 1000 authors to encourage book readers to support their local bookstores.

Saturday, November 30, 2013, 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Signing during Small Business Saturday with Michael Madigan
Covered Treasures Bookstore
105 Second Street, Monument, CO 80132-1066

Sunday, November 30, 2013, 3:00 – 4:00 PM
Panel Signing with fellow Midnight Ink authors
Barnes and Noble Booksellers
900 S Colorado Blvd, Glendale, CO 80246

I'm Visiting the Barnes and Noble Mystery Book Club This Week!

All this week, I am a Featured Author guest at the Barnes and Noble Booksellers' on-line Mystery Book Club. You can follow the thread about my visit, read all about me and my latest release, A Basket of Trouble, and ask me any question you'd like. Here's the LINK.

The Barnes and Noble Booksellers' Mystery Book Club is a great group for mystery readers, whether or not you buy your books from Barnes and Noble or use a Nook to read them. Becke Davis, the moderator, works hard to line up interesting author guests every week to interact with the group members. If you aren't already a member and love reading mysteries, I hope you will join. It's free, so what have you got to lose?

June Reader Reviews

I've been very happy with the reviews from readers that my books have received on the Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Goodreads website in June.

I'm thrilled that my new release, Fatal Descent, the third book in my RM Outdoor Adventures series, received four 5-star reviews on Amazon in June! Also, it has received two 5-star reviews from Barnes and Noble readers in June. Last but not least, Goodreads readers gave it three 5-star reviews and one 4-star review. And that's it, there are no lower-rated reviews. I'd like to see more reviews on all three sites for the book, but I sure can't complain about the average ranking of the reviews it has gotten so far!

And that's not all.

My other mysteries have received some great reviews in June, too. Deadly Currents, the first book in my RM Outdoor Adventures series, received a 4-star review on Amazon in June.  It also received a 4-star review from a Goodreads reader in June.

A Real Basket Case, the first book in my Claire Hanover gift basket designer series, was given two 4-star reviews by Amazon readers in June. It's average ranking is now 4.2 stars out of 5, with 24 reviews total. It also received a 4-star review from a Goodreads reader in June.

I can add all of these lovely reader reviews to the good reviews that my books have received from professional reviewers. Many readers, myself included, look not just at the professional reviews for books, but also at the informal impressions of books shared by readers on various reading social networks. I'd love to have more, of course. So, if you've read and liked my books and "hang out" at a reading social network on-line, please state your impressions in a review. Not only does it stroke my ego (!), but it helps other readers find and enjoy my mystery novels.

Talking on Inkspot About Reviews and Visiting the Barnes and Noble Mystery Book Club

Today I am over at Inkspot, the blog for Midnight Ink authors, talking about book reviews. I provide links to some recent great reviews for my new release, Fatal Descent! I hope you'll visit me there and leave a comment about whether or not book reviews influence your book reading and purchasing decisions.

Also, all of this week I am a guest at the Barnes and Noble on-line mystery book club. If you're a mystery reader and aren't a member yet, I hope you'll consider joining. It's a great community! And, if you're already a member, I hope you'll say howdy on my discussion thread there and ask me a question or let me know what you think of my upcoming release of Fatal Descent.

Review for A Real Basket Case

I just ran across a lovely review from a mystery reader/reviewer for the first book in my Claire Hanover gift basket designer series, A Real Basket Case. Read it HERE. Amazon and Barnes & Noble have both books in the series on sale for 21-33% off list price, depending on format. Got any cozy mystery readers on your holiday gift list?

Visiting the Barnes & Noble Mystery Book Club

Today I am a guest author on the Barnes & Noble Mystery Book Club. What is this, you might ask. It's an on-line discussion group at the Barnes & Noble Booksellers website, one of many Genre Book Clubs and Idea Boards that are available to readers at the website.

For those of you who are interested in mysteries (and who among my blog readers isn't?), I suggest you join this free discussion group and participate. The moderator, Becke Davis, is very active is encouraging mystery authors to visit and in posting worthwhile discussion topics.

My guest article today is about "Stretching the Boundaries of a Cozy Mystery," but I'm ready to discuss any topic or answer any question that book club members throw at me. So have at it!

A Bargain!

I want to alert my blog readers to bargain prices for those who pre-order the trade paperback re-release of the first book in my Claire Hanover gift basket designer mystery series, A Real Basket Case. Its release date will be November 8th, and its list price will be $14.96. However, both Barnes & Noble and Amazon have it priced at just over $10 for pre-orders. I have no control over these sale prices, and I don't know how long they'll last. So, if you want one, I suggest you order now!

Final Stops on my East Coast Book Tour

After my Tuesday stop in Charlottesville, Virginia, last week to visit my sister and sign at the Barnes & Noble store there, I drove down to Hampton, Virginia to spend four days with my parents. I used their home as a base of operations for various events in the Tidewater area of Virginia. The photo below was taken at the William & Mary Bookstore. They are excellent hosts to alumni who have published books!



The next photo is of participants in my workshop to the Hampton Roads Writers on "Realistic and Effective Dialogue in Fiction." I'm goofing off taking their photo while they're hard at work on an exercise. It was a great group, with lots of interesting and intelligent questions.



This last photo was taken of my parents' good friends, Bill & Judy, at the Newport News Barnes & Noble store. Unfortunately we caught Judy with her eyes closed, but I like her smile.



I arrived home just before dinner on Mother's Day. My wonderful husband cooked me a filet mignon dinner while I sat with my feet up and sipping limoncello. Yes, I'm keeping him and you can't have him!

Today, it's back to reality, with laundry, grocery shopping, and piles of mail and email to catch up on. My next event is a signing at the Chapel Hills Barnes & Noble store in Colorado Springs on Saturday, from 2-4 PM. But I have no promotion events scheduled for the next weekend, because that's when my son is graduating from college. I'll be too busy celebrating that happy milestone to think about writing or promoting.

Pictures at an Exhibition--or Signing, that is

Last Thursday evening was the Colorado Springs launch party for my Deadly Currents release at the south Barnes and Noble Booksellers store by Citadel Mall. Since it was St. Patrick's Day, I brought green cookies for a treat, and we decorated with a green and white balloon bouquet. The night before, I had "won" a flower arrangement at a silent auction fundraiser for my church's youth group. So, I brought that to decorate my table, too.

The photos below are from the event. The first one shows me at my signing table near the beginning of the event. The second photo shows me with MB Partlow and Vic Cruickshank, two members of my critique group. The third photo shows the store's Community Relations Manager, Lora Reiher, and a friend, Susie Braun. Note how the piles of books have dwindled! We ended the evening with only 4 left. It was a successful and fun launch, all in all, for my whitewater river ranger Mandy Tanner.

An Interview and A Visit with the Barnes and Noble Mystery Book Club

Today from noon - 12:30 MST (11:00 - 11:30 PST) on my virtual book tour, I will be interviewed by Sylvia Dickey Smith on her Writing Strong Women blogtalkradio show. Listen in to see what questions she has for me! If you can't listen to the interview live, you can always listen to it later once it's archived. I hope you'll leave a comment or question of your own for me there. Every comment will be an entry into my virtual book tour contest for a free copy of Deadly Currents.

Also, today will start my one week visit with the Barnes and Noble Booksellers Mystery Book Club on-line. I will answer questions from members, AND I'll be providing reports about my experiences at the Left Coast Crime conference in Santa Fe, NM, that starts on Thursday. It should be a fun week there, and I hope you'll join me.

These will be the last two stops on my virtual book tour, but you can still read all of the posts if you're joining the tour late. You can find the complete tour schedule HERE. I hope you'll read each day's post and leave a comment on each one. And I hope you'll spread the word about my book and my VBT to your mystery-reading friends. Good luck in the contest!