FINGER LICKIN' DEAD -- Release Day & Giveaway!

If you're a writer and you're on Twitter, you probably already know Elizabeth Spann Craig. She is the guru of writing related articles, scouring over 2000 blogs for the best info and posting links to them to her nearly 10,000 followers.


In relation to my last post (where you can STILL comment to enter a giveaway for a Barnes & Noble card) Elizabeth knows how to build good karma.


On TWITTER she goes by @elizabethscraig.
On the WEB, her blog has been named Writer's Digest as one of the top 101 websites for authors.
And she writes under the psuedonym RILEY ADAMS.

I thoroughly enjoyed her first cozy released by Berkeley, DELICIOUS AND SUSPICIOUS, with its quirky characters, quick pace and twisting plot.  And I can't wait to get my copy of FINGER LICKIN' DEAD in the mail!


FINGER LICKIN' DEAD: When an anonymous food critic blasts several local restaurants—including Aunt Pat’s—Lulu Taylor and her customers are biting mad, especially when they learn that Eppie Currian is the pen name of their friend Evelyn’s cheating boyfriend. When “Eppie” gets his own fatal review, the list of suspects is longer than the list of specials at the best BBQ place in Memphis.


To celebrate Elizabeth's release, I'm giving away 5 copies of her book -- your choice of Kindle or print -- AND 5 handmade bookmarks I created especially for this book!

To enter for your chance to win a set of book and bookmark, just tell us here: What was the best mystery you've read lately?

(For an additional chance to win, tweet/RT the contest on twitter with #fingerlickindead in the message. I'll be keeping track and adding your name into the hat a second time.)

Thanks for playing! Good luck!

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Monday Mosaic

This Monday's list is a little longer than usual because I didn't get to it last week. Yet, this is but a fragment of all the powerful information out there -- and just in my little realm. When you look at the writing arena as a whole, the resources are so vast it's overwhelming.

Because of that and how busy I've become and how focused I'm trying to stay on my writing, I've decided to keep my Monday Mosaic post links to items I discover through the various blogs I follow. Articles and information I discover via Twitter will be retweeted individually.

I believe that will make it both easier to keep up with and easier to digest the massive influx of information with less chance of over-saturating anyone or any media outlet on any given day. I find it so hard to appreciate information in huge doses.

That plan also allows for those who either don't read blogs or don't utilize Twitter to still obtain links to valuable sources in various ways.

Now, onto the most valuable posts I've discovered over the last week (or a little more):

• Top Ten Things Authors Should NEVER Do To Promote Their Book, by Dana Kaye at Hey, There’s A Dead Guy In The Living Room
  
  
• Definition of Plot for Writers, by Plot Whisperer
  
  
• Stop Being Afraid of Posting Your Work Online, by Jane Friedman at Writer Unboxed.
  
  
• Tugging, by Elizabeth Span Craig at Mystery Writing is Murder
  
  
• Why Don’t Publishers Market & Promote the Books They Publish? By Jane Freidman at There Are No Rules
  
  
• Overwhelmed? Reach Out For Writers’ Help, by Carol Grannick at The Irrepressible Writer
  
  
• Two Peas In A Pod, by Justin Levy at New Marketing Labs
  (This is a free marketing webinar that I signed up to watch. Sounds good.)
  
  
• A Day In The Life, by Robin Agnew at Hey, There’s A Dead Guy in the Living Room
  (Surprise bookstore visit from Tess Gerritsen.)
  
  
• 5 Steps to Planning a Successful Writers’ Weekend, by Kathleen Bolton at Writer Unboxed
  (I sooooooooo want to do this!)
  
  
• Query Recap, by Jessica Faust at BookEnds, LLC
  (Interesting)
  
  
• 10 Ways to Write Skinny Sentences, by K.M. Weiland at WordPlay
  (Good reminders)
  
  
• Why Character Stereotypes Are a Good Thing, by K.M. Weiland at WordPlay
  (I believe stereotypes are in place for good reason.)
  
  
• Pave Your Way To Creative Domination: The Writer as Creative Entrepreneur, by Justine Lee Musk at Tribal Writer
  (Amen! What a fresh, empowering perspective!)
  
  
• Amazing Success Stories, by Rachel Zurakowski at Books & Such
  (Always inspiring)

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Monday Mosaic

Quite an eclectic collection this week:

Why Not Put Off Till Tomorrow the Novel You Could Begin Today? by Ann Patchet at New York Times

7 Ways To Make Your Agent Crazy, by Janet Reid, Literary Agent

Writing Thrillers: Lessons from James Rollins, by Joanna Penn at The Creative Penn

The Writers Toolkit: A Voice Journal For Character Development, by Alan Rinzler, Consulting Editor
Note: After reading this blog, which about advice given in a book for writers, I purchased the book and am loving it. Definitely a suggested read for authors.

15 Commandments for Free Publicity, by Carol Howard-Johnson at Marketing Tips for Authors

Plague Words and Phrases, by the Community Capital College Foundation

9 Strategies for Surviving the Second Book, by Therese Walsh at Writer Unboxed

How to be a Positive Person in Under 300 Words, by Leo Babauta at Zen Habits

The Dirty Little Secret About Talent--and How to Grow It, by Justine Lee Musk at Tribal Writer

Brain Chemicals and Psychopathic Pleasure, by D. P. Lyle, M.D. at The Writer's Forensic Blog

Enjoy!!

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