Saturday, March 9, 2013

Dangerous Impulses: Marilyn Meredith's newest book

It's been a while since I posted, so I wanted this post to be a great one.  I think I've got a winner here.  Marilyn Meredith is on a blog tour to promote her newest book, Dangerous Impulses.  She was gracious enough to include my blog in her tour.  If you're not familair with her, I think you'll find her a person of great accomplishment as well as an author who knows how to get the word out on her work, and she does it with humor and in a personal manner.  She has many fans.  Not only am I one of them, but she's a role model for what an author can do to promote herself.  So read on and get to know her.

 
 
 

Being an Author These Days

 

Of course I’m going to speak for myself, any other author who decides to leave a comment, be sure and tell what it’s like for you.

 

First, I’ll tell you I don’t have an agent. There is no one who goes out looking for the best publishing deal for me—I’ve done it for myself. Oh, I’ve had several agents in the long ago past and no one ever did anything for my books. In fact, I don’t think they even tried very hard.

 

My first book was accepted by a New York publisher and if I’d known anything at all about this business—which I didn’t—that’s when I should have found an agent to help negotiate the contract. But I didn’t. Back when I started, there was no Internet with groups you could go to that could help you learn what to do as there is now.

 

I stumbled and bumbled about, got tangled up with a couple of crooked publishers—learned what to look out for—and eventually ended up with the small press I’m with now for my Rocky Bluff P.D crime novels, Oak Tree Press.

 

And the second biggie is, I don’t have a publicist. I am my own publicist. Because of that and the fact that there seems to be fewer hours in a day now, I probably miss some things I could be doing.

 

What I am doing:

 

This blog tour. Blog tours are a lot of work—I’ve paid for them before and believe me, the tour companies truly earn their money.

 

Of course I’m on Facebook and Twitter—I use Facebook the most and I’m on several groups located on Facebook where I let people know what’s happening with my books.

 

I’m on several listserves.

 

I sell my books at craft and author fairs and book festivals.
 
Marilyn at a library program
 

I usually go to two writers or mystery cons a year. This year it’s EpiCon and the Public Safety Writers Association’s conference.

 

And I do anything else that might crop up during the year.

 

I love giving talks and workshops about all phases of writing, so if anyone asks and it’s not too far away, I accept.

 

What I don’t do is a lot of physical socializing. I don’t belong to community clubs or go to a lot of parties. Writing and promoting takes a lot of time which means spending several hours a day in front of the computer.

 

Am I famous and well-known? No. I do have my fans that follow both my series. When someone tells me how much they enjoyed one of my books, that’s a great feeling.

 

And the question I’m often asked, “Do you make a lot of money?”

 

The simple answer is “No.”

 

This answer is usually followed by, “Then, why do you do it?”

 

Because I can’t stop. I love writing, it is an addiction.

 

In the case of the Rocky Bluff P.D. series, I always want to know what is going to happen next to my characters. They’ve become such a part of me, that I want to see where life is going to take them next—and the only way that can happen is if I write the next book.

 

That next book is Dangerous Impulses:

 

An attractive new-hire captivates Officer Gordon Butler, Officer Felix Zachary’s wife Wendy is befuddled by her new baby, Ryan and Barbara Strickland receive unsettling news about her pregnancy, while the bloody murder of a mother and her son and an unidentified drug that sickens teenaged partiers jolts the Rocky Bluff P.D.

 

Contest:

 

The person who comments on the most blog posts on this tour may have a character named after him or her in the next Rocky Bluff P.D. crime novel or choose a book from the previous titles in the Rocky Bluff P.D. series in either paper or for Kindle.

 

Rocky Bluff P.D. Series:

 

Though each book in the Rocky Bluff P.D. series is written as a stand-alone, I know there are people who like to read a series in order. From the beginning to the end:

 

Final Respects

Bad Tidings

Fringe Benefits

Smell of Death

No Sanctuary

An Axe to Grind

Angel Lost

No Bells

Dangerous Impulses

 

F. M. Meredith’s Bio:

F.M. is also known as Marilyn Meredith, the author of the Deputy Tempe Crabtree series. She first became interested in writing about law enforcement when she lived in a neighborhood filled with police officers and their families. The interest was fanned when her daughter married a police officer and the tradition has continued with a grandson and grandson-in-law who are deputies. She’s also serves on the board of the Public Safety Writers Association, and has many friends in different law enforcement fields. For twenty plus years, she and her husband lived in a small beach community located in Southern California much like the fictional Rocky Bluff. She is a member of three chapters of Sisters in Crime, Epic, and Mystery Writers of America.

 



And I’m on Facebook and Twitter as MarilynMeredith

 

And tomorrow you’ll find me here http://lornacollins-author.blogspot.com/



How to buy Marilyn's book:  Just hit this button.   http://tinyurl.com/byxomtk

20 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for having me today, Lesley. The river in your photo looks a lot like the Tule River that runs behind my house. We have more boulders and the banks are higher, but similar.

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  2. Well, Lesley, you "hit the nail on the head" when you described Marilyn as a role model for all writers. I am constantly in awe of you, Marilyn. I love your books and I admire you as a writer and a person. How you accomplish all that you do amazes me! Best of luck with your new book!

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    1. Thank you, Patricia, that's such a nice compliment, I appreciate it.

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  3. I met Marilyn at Killer Nashville several years ago and we have been "writer" friends since that meeting. She is a wonderful writer and a very passionate and good person. I will be hosting her on my blog this month and invite everyone to come and say hello. You won't be sorry.

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  4. You are so nice, Rick. I'm looking forward to seeing you and your wife at the PSWA conference.

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  5. Writing is the easy part, isn't it? Even the editing is easy compared to self-promotion. I do all the things you do except for listserves. I'm unfamiliar with that. Hmmm... Great post! Wishing you lots of luck.

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    1. Thank you, Vonnie. I do wish I could spend more time writing and not so much promoting. However, I wouldn't trade the friends I've made along the way.

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  6. Marilyn, your dedication to writing is an inspiration to us all! And it's always a good thing to see that all of us are in the same boat with publicity - really, it's all up to us in the end. I wish you continued and growing luck. You're right - there's nothing better than hearing from someone who's read a book you've written and tells you how much they loved it!

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    1. I don't feel like and inspiration, but thank you. Glad you stopped by.

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  7. Great picture of you, Marilyn, with all your books!!! True inspiration... Lesley, love your blog picture, so calming. Enjoyed visiting!

    Madeline

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  8. Thanks for letting folks know that we're not rich - at least not from writing. In fact, for years our writing business has offset our income in the negative. But we love it, too. See you tomorrow!

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    1. Yes, my writing career has helped me a lot--plenty of deductions. I'll be visiting you tomorrow, hope everyone will follow along.

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  9. I knew writing novels wasn't going to make me wealthy, well maybe someday, if I happen to write a best-seller, (Cough, Cough...) But I do it because I love writing, too. I only hope my writing addiction turns out as many amazing published novels as you have. Thanks for sharing, Marilyn.

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    1. Thanks for commenting, Evelyn. I'd like to be a best-seller too.

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  10. Writing, marketing and promotion aren't for sissies, as you well know. It's hard work all the way around. I don't know how you keep up with it. I'm so far behind right now I don't know if I'll ever catch up. I admire you and all that you do!
    Marja McGraw

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  11. Yeah, Marilyn, you make all this look so easy. Like Marja I feel behind all the time. Do you ever take a break?

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  12. I love seeing Marilyn all around the blog circuit.

    And, Lesley, I've got a blog award for you over on my blog. Come on by.

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  13. It was a pleasure meeting you in California last month, Marilyn, and hearing you read. You are such a great example of prolific writing and marketing! Thank you for this blog.

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  14. I'm just catching up with Marilyn's tour. Better late than never. :) I met her at Mayhem in the Midlands a few years ago and have kept up with the Tempe series since. Nice article! I may have to try the 2nd series, too!

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