Latest News
A Meeting of the Mystery-Solving Minds
Want a glimpse back in time to a year before former big-time TV reporter Elizabeth Danniher arrived in tiny Sherman, Wyoming, and started unraveling murders? This bonus novella prequel is called Before the Murders. Come along as Elizabeth teams up with Sheila Mackey and her great-aunt Kit from my Secret Sleuth mystery series to unravel a non-murderous mystery in a historic hotel in London. Join Patricia’s ReadHeads and get Before the Murders for free!
New Western Romance Series
Characters from my Bardville, Wyoming, and A Place Called Home trilogies, the Wyoming Wildflowers series, and Ride the River come together in a new small-town romance series, The Wyoming Marriage Association. First up is First Date: Divorce, a romantic comedy featuring Eric Larkin from Making Christmas. Going undercover as a couple on the brink of divorce is the perfect role for Eric and Bardville deputy K.D. Hamilton. After all, neither of them believes in marriage. The one snag is they’ve never met before. Get your copy now at my eBookstore or your favorite online bookseller!
Advice for Indy Authors
Some B&N Love for New Release
Thank you to Barnes & Noble for including my hot-off-the-press Cross Talk (Book 11, Caught Dead in Wyoming) as one of “This Week’s Five Favorite Indie eBooks.” Each week B&N Press highlights five popular titles – trending new and old releases.
It’s a Wrap: Trilogy’s No. 3 Released
Book 3 in The Innocence Trilogy, Premise of Innocence, is a standalone mystery with romantic elements that moves the action across the Potomac River to Maryland. Someone has taken a shot at Allison Northcutt, a cousin to Maggie and Jamie, and Detective Tanner Landis must find out before the next bullet reaches its target. If you love twists and turns, characters who stick with you, and mysteries and romance swirled together, buy today!
Creating a Sustainable Writing Career
In October 2021, I appeared on the Kobo Writing Life Podcast to discuss the craft of writing and how to create a sustainable career as a writer. KWL’s Joni and Shayna joined me to chat about my writing process and why discovering the writing process that works for you is so important as an author. I also offer tips that I have used; for example, how I keep myself from reusing storylines, character names, or even specific phrases. The nice KWL folks also included a transcript of our talk.
Spotlight on Self-Publishing Success
Appearance on The Creative Penn podcast
I was a guest on Joanna Penn’s The Creative Penn podcast, discussing discovery writing (a.k.a. pantsing), how to write a novel with structure if you don’t plot in advance, and building a writing career for the long-term. Many thanks to Joanna for inviting me, I loved our chat!
New Secret Sleuth release
Clara drags Sheila along to her 20th high school reunion for moral support … but Sheila’s sleuthing skills become much more important. Now you can find out whodunit and why in Death on Carrion Lane, Book 6 in the Secret Sleuth series. Get this Secret Sleuth mystery at your favorite online ebook retailer, or my eBookstore, now! Coming soon in paperback and audiobook.
Caught Dead in Wyoming a Perfect 10
The latest release in my Caught Dead in Wyoming cozy mystery series is Body Brace, Book 10. A body brace secures the camera and helps stabilize footage. That comes in handy when Elizabeth takes on an assignment for KWMT-TV with Diana involving a kids’ camp and a Cottonwood County historic reenactment. The assignment takes unexpected turns, leaving mysteries to unravel. But a body brace can also provide support as Elizabeth and friends negotiate changing futures … with some surprises. Now available in paperback (including large print) and audiobook!
Making Christmas, Now Unwrapped
The latest Wyoming Wildflowers romance, released in December 2020, is Making Christmas. Snowbound in a shoddy convenience store with the least hospitable storekeeper in Wyoming, two other stranded travelers, four kids forgotten by Santa – oh, yes, and each other. Can Kiernan and Bexley make the best of this accidental Noël? At least they can make it a real Christmas for the kids–don’t miss the Behind the Scenes section to see how they do that.
Wish I’d Known Then… podcast appearance
I recently joined Jami Albright and Sara Rosett on their Wish I’d Known Then . . .For Writers podcast to discuss the pros and cons of traditional and indie publishing, how I write my books without outlining, and my tips for BookBub ads. (Look for my separate interviews with Jami and Sara on my Authors Love Readers podcasts; links are below.)
In the Wish I’d Known Then podcast episode, you’ll discover:
* How I learned to trust myself and my writing process instead of trying to write like you’re “supposed to”
* Why learning that we are not our audience is essential to marketing
* Advice on how to get rights back from traditional publishers
* Myths around traditional publishing
* Why it’s key to find readers who are looking for new authors
Spotlight Chat
I was a guest on Draft2Digital’s Spotlight live YouTube chat series in April to offer advice for authors looking to make a career out of their writing. Key takeaway: writers starting out should take the long view. Do the things that are sustainable for you as a person so you can continue to have a long career. Thank you to host Dan Wood, D2D’s director of operations and author relations.
To Have and to Hold, More
More good news for paperback lovers! I continue to roll out print editions from my book list, recently adding all four titles of my two small-town romance series, Marry Me and Seasons in a Small Town, and the Wyoming Wildflowers prequels. And now 10 Caught Dead in Wyoming series books are available in LARGE PRINT. (Look for the gold badge on the cover.) Next in the large print pipeline are the Secret Sleuth mysteries. Would you like to see this series in your local library? Just ask the librarian to order a copy for their shelves from IngramSpark.
Writer’s Corner: A Discussion on Publishing
I recently gave a talk on trends in book publishing at the Boone County Public Library, Main Library, in Burlington, Ky. It’s a fascinating time to be an author, with opportunities and choices not imagined even a few years ago and change the only constant. All that also brings complications, including balancing the conflicting demands of business and creativity.
Here are handouts from this talk:
The Ultimate Wedding Series Bundle
The seven romances of The Wedding Series, plus two prequels and a bonus short story, are now available in an ebook boxed set called The Wedding Series: The Complete Collection, out now at Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and Google Play. The bundle is not available on Amazon, but don’t worry, Kindle readers. You can get mobi format versions of The Complete Collection directly at my eBookstore here.
Workshop to Page
Are you a writer? A writer who doesn’t write “right”? Or do you have a friend who is? Then Survival Kit for Writers Who Don’t Write Right is for you to get or give. Support, hard-won wisdom, and nitty-gritty tools and tips pack this short book, inspired by workshops I have given. It’s available as an ebook at the major retailers for $2.99. You can also buy it in paperback at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other booksellers, and it’s available for libraries and schools as well through Ingram.
Be a Podcast Patron
Producing my Authors Love Readers podcast costs money, so I’ve set up a page on Patreon in hopes of support for hosting and recording expenses. Please help me put a dent in recording and storage costs so I can continue this conversation between authors about how and why they create the stories you love.
Listen to more at Authors Love Readers
From the blog
Consumer Tip No. 64: Taking advantage of the uniform
In honor of my Caught Dead in Wyoming mystery series, my assistant Kay Coyte is writing for my newsletter and blog a series of consumer tips inspired by TV reporter Elizabeth Danniher. This Consumer Tip topic comes from Patricia, who writes: "Lucky me -- just...
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