Guest posts,  The life of a writer

Sharing the Love: The Writing Community

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Message StonesWriters are the most generous, talented, funny, genuine, and kind people I’ve ever met, and I feel blessed to walk among you. I love the writing community; always have. You can’t find better people, IMO.

When I first became part of this elite “club” I found myself awestruck by the fact that no one was in competition. Quite the contrary. They supported one another. They lent a shoulder to cry on when one of us fell and rejoiced when one of us achieved our goals.

It’s been about four years since I crawled out my writer’s cave door and joined the community, and I still see random acts of kindness happening all around me. Each time, it blows me away.

When a fellow author tells me they’ve published a new book, I desperately want to support them by featuring their work. But if allow book promotions without a guest post that you can benefit from, I risk losing what I’ve built.

Therein lies the rub.

I’ve worked tirelessly to make this a resource blog, and many of you wouldn’t be here otherwise. I don’t reblog posts. I don’t post book reviews. And I don’t do many book promos. I’ve kept a narrow focus on crime, research, and writing tips. This year I’m trying to mix things up a bit, but I also need to remain true to my brand.

So I’ve come up with a different way of showing my support, a way that shows solidarity among the community as a whole, and a way I can support my fellow authors without turning this blog into something it isn’t.

In the last month I’ve heard from so many dear friends who all have news to share. These authors have supported me in more ways than I can count. These authors are truly wonderful people, and I feel blessed to call them friends. I root for these authors each and every day, just as I root for you. Incidentally, they have no idea they’re appearing on the blog today. Which makes this post all the more fun.

I’d also like to give a quick shout-out to all members of the writing community. You’re my peeps, and I wouldn’t want to do this job without you.

Sharing the Love

WHAT’S HOT IN CRAFT

Headshot-ImageWhat can I say about Garry Rodgers? He’s one of my best buddies, and we’ve never met in person. Funny how that works, eh? We talk every day, and he always makes me burst out laughing with his antics. He’s also someone I admire (I’ll never live this down), as well as being a fountain of information.

 

Best of DyingWords: Provoking Thoughts on Life from a Retired 512CveanFTL._SX298_BO1,204,203,200_Homicide Detective and Forensic Coroner

Garry and invited guests from professional disciplines provoke thoughts on broad and fascinating topics such as forensic psychology, philosophy, spiritualism, motivation, health and happiness, as well as give their views on the darker issues of drugs, arms, military tactics, and crime scene investigation.

You can buy Book 1 in the series HERE.

How to Blog for the Huffington Post: 101 Proven Tips for Getting Published on the Huff

41Xx+4LgTXL._SX298_BO1,204,203,200_

“Every blogger’s dream should be to get their blog published by the Huffington Post,” says Huff Post signature blogger and bestselling writer, Garry Rodgers, who gives you 101 Proven Tips on how to get your blogs posted on the Huff.

The condensed version, 21 Tips, is FREE. It currently sits at #1 on Amazon. Congrats, my friend!!!

The full version you can buy HERE.

 

 

Your Story on Steroids Workshop

1104S2tw0SL._UX250_Larry Brooks works tirelessly to help writers achieve their goals, but he’s also an extremely kind person, with a big, mushy heart. Larry is one helluva writer too. Wow. I’ve read every one of his books, and remain absolutely floored by his storytelling ability.

Hands down, he’s one of my all-time favorite authors. I’m not alone, either. His thrillers are all critically acclaimed.

Who better to run a workshop on craft?

Here’s what he says about Your Story on Steroids: “Most workshops talk about how to write a novel, which is a discussion that is as much about process as it is anything else. This workshop will teach you what a novel must look like, how it should read – the specific elements and essences and criteria that, when a story works, is there every time.”

I can personally vouch for what an incredible coach Larry is. His craft books are the reason I’m published. If you’re struggling, go to this workshop and let Larry help you. You can find all the details at www.novelintensives.com And you can read Larry’s view about The Workshop You Can’t Afford to Miss on StoryFix.

NEW RELEASES

untitled (31)I was immediately drawn to Caleb Pirtle. He has that “it” factor that you can’t quite put your finger on. It’s not because of his steadfast dedication to sharing the love; it’s more than that.

Caleb has been in the writing gig for decades—over 60 titles to his name—and his writing always moves me. But he’s also a humble man, a brilliant man, a loving and generous human being.

His blog, Venture Galleries, features blog posts and books from so many authors I can’t even keep track. Jump over and visit his site. There are no words for how much time and effort Caleb puts into showcasing other authors. You’ll have to experience it for yourself.

American operative Ambrose Lincoln has no idea where he is or has been or where untitled (32)he’s going.  The government has erased his mind and re-shaped the landscape of his brain. He believes he has been to the night side of dark, a place of the first death, from which no one can return.

So why does he find himself on the bomb-ruined landscape of Poland, or has he been exiled to the second death?

Lincoln only realizes, if the man in the shadows has not lied to him, he must find an ancient religious painting that has been missing for centuries. It was painted by a blind artist on the day of Christ’s crucifixion, its image staining wood that has not aged. It is a portrait of Christ leaving one world and walking amidst lightning through the door to another.

The German Gestapo will pay a fortune to buy it, or take a man’s life to steal it.

The painting, if legend holds true, is the German hierarchy’s final and only chance to escape the onslaught of the war that is crumbling around their feet. Is it real or only a myth, and how many must die to prove its existence.

You can read more about Night Side of Dark and purchase the novel HERE.

untitled (33)Mae Clair is also incredibly generous, like everyone else I’ve listed here today.  Not long ago she made the switch from romantic suspense to the crime genre, and we were lucky to get her. Not only is she a talented storyteller but she bends over backward to support other authors. How she squeezes in a full-time day job is beyond me. Her latest release, A Thousand Yesteryears, is next on my to-read list.

Enter to win a free paperback!

 

Kensington Publishing is giving away two paperbackAThousandYesteryears_hires copies of A THOUSAND YESTERYEARS, by Mae Clair. A suspenseful mystery, A THOUSAND YESTERYEARS is a tale of buried secrets, murder, and a terrifying legend.

The Goodreads giveaway runs through February 29th.

For your chance to win, enter HERE.

 

 

BGAE_RMP_Promo_4_LowResFantastic person, excellent storyteller, and a kind and generous human being. I’m reading his new release now, Between Good and Evil, and I’m lovin’ it. The story takes place not far from where I live, which makes it especially fun for me.

Years after the Willis Asylum closed, the secrets of its past lingered in its decaying halls as a reminder to the good people of Auburn Notch—when Evil closes a door, he also opens a window.

Pick up your copy HERE. Available in all formats, including hard cover.

 

book-photo-nr-500What you see is what you get, like everyone else on this list. Nicholas has dedicated his blog to helping Indie authors, an admiral trait. He has a great sense of humor and often surprises me with articles he thinks might interest me, a shout-out on his blog, or a hilarious meme on Facebook.

I bought both his new children’s stories, Runaway Smile and Musiville, for my granddaughters and he personalized them with the sweetest notes.

A group of animals has evolved into musical instruments. Or is it the other way 51HjxuIK4ML._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_around? Whichever the case, they have now formed their own little village: Musiville. And bands. Lots and lots of bands. When everyone starts playing their own tune, buildings get torn down by an invader. Can Musiville be saved from this unexpected threat?

You can read my review of the paperback. But it also comes in ebook format.

 

 

If I’ve forgotten someone, I’ll catch you next time. For everyone else, what do you think about making Sharing the Love a new series? In order to remain a resource blog, I could only write these posts once in a while, but I think it’ll be a nice addition.

Help me share the love by sharing this post to your favorite social media site. Thank you!

 

Sue Coletta is an award-winning crime writer and an active member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. Feedspot and Expertido.org named her Murder Blog as “Best 100 Crime Blogs on the Net.” She also blogs on the Kill Zone (Writer's Digest "101 Best Websites for Writers"), Writers Helping Writers, and StoryEmpire. Sue lives with her husband in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. Her backlist includes psychological thrillers, the Mayhem Series (books 1-3) and Grafton County Series, and true crime/narrative nonfiction. Now, she exclusively writes eco-thrillers, Mayhem Series (books 4-9 and continuing). Sue's appeared on the Emmy award-winning true crime series, Storm of Suspicion, and three episodes of A Time to Kill on Investigation Discovery. When she's not writing, she loves spending time with her murder of crows, who live free but come when called by name. And nature feeds her soul.

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37 Comments

  • Andrè M. Pietroschek

    February 26, 2016 at 12:41 AM

    Sue, I have no prose of how I hope it doesn’t come true again, nor of how aware I am that I am in no position to loudmouth it, still could you do me one little favor?

    Recognize your real life ‘Greg’ before you make it extra easy for him or her! Even among saints there still were betrayers and hidden enemies after all…

  • R. Michael Phillips

    February 23, 2016 at 8:56 AM

    Hi Sue, this was kind of you to do. I’ve always enjoyed your blog, and of course now your book. With all the negative posts you see bandied about the internet, it’s refreshing when someone maintains a consistent positive influence over what we as writers do. What we do isn’t easy and at times a solitary task, so it is so much more rewarding when our efforts are recognized. Thank you for the kind words . . . and I’m looking forward to your next book!

    • Sue Coletta

      February 23, 2016 at 9:27 AM

      I’m so glad you liked the post, Mike. It was a lot of fun to write. You’re so right. We work in seclusion so often that it’s nice to crawl out the writer’s cave and have someone appreciate the blood, sweat, and tears we’ve shed. This was my way of showing how much I appreciate each and every one of you.

    • Sue Coletta

      February 23, 2016 at 6:01 AM

      I saw Garry RT your post the other day and meant to ask him if he knew you. I’m so glad you’ve made some great connections, Janice. All of these folks are awesome people.

  • Jet

    February 21, 2016 at 10:05 PM

    Such a nice blog post. I agree with you. Since I joined the community, only within the last 12 months, I have found so much generosity from other writers/authors willing to share their knowledge. It’s a wonderful thing. This certainly includes you. I truly enjoy reading your posts and picking up tips. Your idea, Sharing the Love, as a new series is great. I look forward to the next post. Thanks so much for all you do!

    • Sue Coletta

      February 22, 2016 at 5:12 AM

      Aw, Jet. Thank you. You’ve made my day. 🙂 I love sharing what I learn. If even one writer can take hours off their research by reading one of my posts, then the time spent was well worth the effort.

  • Mae Clair

    February 21, 2016 at 7:56 PM

    Wow, what a wonderful and supportive post, Sue. Like you, I don’t do reviews on my blog and I don’t reblog, but I still want to help other authors through promo. Mostly that comes down to guest posts, but I also understand branding (my day job is real estate marketing) and how it impacts each of us (and our readers).

    What a delight to find your post here today. Thank you so much for including me. You have been a wonderful and supportive friend in the short time I’ve known you and I am so grateful we connected.

    You also mentioned a number of authors and bloggers I follow. Caleb Pirtle is a special friend. I used to write a regular blog on Venture Galleries, but time constraints kept me from continuing. I miss that, but love the connection I made with Caleb.

    You mentioned so many great authors and bloggers. *waving back at Garry Rodgers* Love all of his blogs even if I don’t get to comment on each one (does that make me an old white guy, LOL?).

    You hit the nail on the head when you said authors/writers are supportive of each other and share in triumphs, the occasional stumbles and joys. What a fabulous community, that I’m delighted to be part of.

    Cheers to all of us!
    Mae Clair recently posted…A Bouquet of Flowers in WinterMy Profile

    • Sue Coletta

      February 22, 2016 at 5:18 AM

      Caleb gets around, doesn’t he? LOL I wouldn’t think of doing this post without you, Mae. I cherish our new friendship, just like I cherish my friendship with so many others. We (the writing community) truly are blessed to walk among such wonderful people. Cheers!

  • Susan Nicholls

    February 21, 2016 at 5:41 PM

    I think it’s a wonderful way to share the love. I have met so many dedicated and helpful people from posts like this. Recently I was introduced to one of your featured persons through another blogger…and wow! Your promotion of him speaks volumes to me. There is a plethora of talent all able and willing to aid writers in any way they can, and this is a lovely and generous addition to your resources. Thank you, yes, keep up the good work!

  • Debbie A. McClure

    February 21, 2016 at 4:27 PM

    What a terrific post, Sue! As writers we toil over our work independently, but when we emerge into the light, we embrace our tribe and actually enjoy sharing the love! Congratulations on doing such a great job. I look forward to learning and laughing more with you in the future. All I can say is, “Thank God for social networking! Rock on.

  • Nicholas C. Rossis

    February 21, 2016 at 3:38 PM

    I’m so flattered that you included me among these greats! I’m already following most of them, but it’s a great opportunity to discover some more fine bloggers. Thank you for making my day – twice today 🙂

  • Garry Rodgers

    February 21, 2016 at 3:09 PM

    Hey – Thanks so, so much for doing this, Sue! That’s really kind and generous of you 🙂 I’m actually quite touched! (lump in throat, tear in eye)

    You’re right about the writing community being so inclusive, supportive, and non-competitive. Like you, I’ve met many people online through the writing / blogging scene. Some are fairly well known and I find they’re just as happy to help as the new folks are. They realize they had to start somewhere, too

    I’ve also just been out of the cave for four years and things are just starting to take off for me now. Thanks for the book plugs – BTW, the DyingWords Book 1 is permanently available for free on my home page and the Huff Post 101 Tip book is going on a five-day Amazon Freebie on Weds, Feb 24.

    I’d also like to pass on something to your followers – How this 21 Tip guide made it to #1 on Amazon was purely because I was taught how to properly target Amazon keywords/phrases and categories. This was all from Susanne Lakin’s generosity (Live, Write, Thrive) who is developing an online course on targeting genre and I was her guinea pig. This search engine manipulation stuff really works and is quite simple to figure out – it’s just time-consuming to put a winning combination together – but then having #1 Bestseller attached to the handle is worth it 🙂

    I’m glad to see you included Mae in the list (waves at Mae). I was beginning to think no one was allowed in your elite club unless they’re old white guys who are losing their hair 🙂

    • Sue Coletta

      February 21, 2016 at 3:17 PM

      Hahahahaha! BTW, the squirrel joke is hilarious!!! You know, now that you mention it, I do have a lot of balding white guys for friends. Hmm…

      Hey Nicholas, this is what you’ve got to look forward to if you stay in my inner circle!

  • Margot Kinberg

    February 21, 2016 at 1:38 PM

    I know exactly how you feel, Sue, about wanting to support writer friends. At the same time, of course, your blog needs to be, well, about you and your writing. So I love this approach you’ve taken to doing both!