Johnny Dangerous

Writing Media Releases part 2

2009-07-16T13:04:00.002-05:00

(That's Selena over there, making an important decision as usual)

In my previous posting I outlined some steps to take when writing "Media Releases" to help promote a new book. Once your book is 'out there' and you begin to line up public appearances in bookstores, libraries, book clubs, conferences and so on, you'll need another kind of media release to announce the event. Some independent bookstores and Barnes & Noble stores will put an announcement in their newsletters or in-store flyers, but it will usually be up to you - no matter what the venue - to notify local media with what they call an 'advance story.'

It's really quite simple. All you need to do is remember the "5 W's and H" of basic journalism: who, what, when, where, why, and how. And like the other media release that announced your book, this one should be free of hyperbole and puffery. Keep it short and straightforward. Just the facts, please. Don't see it as an ad; see it as a really short news item. Some newspapers will run the basic info in a 'community calendar' listing and not run it as a story (unless you have a big platform and are becoming a celebrity!).

Set up the Media Release just like the other one, with your contact info at the top left and a release date (or "For Immediate Release") at the top right. Provide a short headline (in present tense) if you like. Then, in third person, tell readers who you are, what you'll be doing, where, on what date and at what time (and for how long). Provide any other details in descending order of importance. You can provide a brief bio or other background, but expect it to be cut off. Kinda like this:

Mystery writer plots murder in local bookstore

Mystery author John Desjarlais will speak on "How to Plot a Murder and Get Away With It" at (store/library) located at (address) on (date) from (time-to-time - y'know, from 7 pm-8 pm or whatever).

He will also sign copies of his latest book, BLEEDER, released August 15 by Sophia Institute Press. Ten percent of the proceeds will be donated to (name charity or library here).

The event is free and open to the public. Wine and cheese will be served (only say this if it's true!!). Attendees will be entered in a drawing for a prize.

Desjarlais, a member of Mystery Writers of America, lives in (name the town if you're a local) and teaches English and journalism at Kishwaukee College in Malta, Ill.

-30- (remember, this symbol means 'the end')

Notice how the story maintains an objective tone and avoids the excitement you actually feel about doing this. You'll want to write, "...will sign copies of his AWESOME book (title), destined to become a BESTSELLER so be sure to come and not miss out!!" But don't do it.

With all media releases, consider what other material you may need to send with it, especially photos such as your cover art or your mug (in .jpeg if sending electronically). By mail, you could include a business card or a bookmark.

Finally, remember to post your release in web social spaces, your blog(s) and other places as appropriate. Just be careful not to become a spammer ;-)

BLEEDER Media Release and writing releases

2009-07-15T11:47:00.003-05:00

Here is the Media Release I'm sending out to announce the publication of my contemporary mystery, BLEEDER. Actually, it's one of a few, as I'm targeting others for different audiences: libraries, radio stations, and so on. This is the more 'general' version suitable for newspapers. With an official issue date of August 15 (as I just learned), now is the time to send out the news so every recipient has a little lead time to process and schedule it. Some papers will run it 'as is,' some will re-write to suit their style, and others will use it as a news lead, calling me for a personal interview (I hope).

A few notes about 'releases' -- First, it should look professional and follow the usual format of a media release, with contact information up front and a release date (if time sensitive). The body ought to look like a regular news story, in format and language, without puffery or self-congratulatory statements. You have to imagine someone else - a sympathetic reporter, perhaps- writing the thing on your behalf. So it will be kindly disposed, yet have an objective tone, referring to you, the author, in third person ("I am SO excited to announce that my new book is FINALLY being published and I'm sure you'll LOVE it!" won't do).

Paragraphs should be kept very short so the piece is easy-to-read in a narrow newspaper column, without huge blocks of text that readers skip. Write an engaging opening (the 'lead'), include a brief summary of the story (something you did when you pitched the book to agents and editors already), provide purchase info and links to your web site and blog. Let media people know where to find and download .jpg photos for their coverage (a mug shot of you, cover art for the book). Include a couple of brief 'quotes' by yourself, as though someone had interviewed you for the news story. A 'kicker quote' at the very end is a time-honored journalistic technique.

Most newspapers prefer to receive "Press Releases" online and their sites might do away with all your paragraphing/formatting (Social Space blogs do that too - very annoying). That's ok. The important thing is to send it and provide a link to your web site where they can copy/paste to their liking.

At the end of the Media Release, write -30-, a symbol to indicate that the article has ended. It dates from telegraph days when reporters wired stories and ended their transmission with XXX - which is 30 in Roman numerals.

OK, here is the Media Release (without some of the italics and a few other formatting things). Copy and paste and forward it hither and yon, to thine kith and kin, maybe to your own local newspapers and radio stations, bloggers, whoever - please!

Media Release

For Immediate Release

Contact:

John Desjarlais

(you'd put your mailing addy and phone here)

jjdesjarlais@johndesjarlais.com

Mystery novel BLEEDER explores higher mysteries

Novelist John Desjarlais has “the usual suspects” in his contemporary small-town mystery Bleeder: a smart amateur sleuth, a cunning villain, baffled police and colorful locals.

But in considering the mysterious death of a stigmatic priest – a priest bearing the wounds of the crucified Christ – Desjarlais explores ‘higher mysteries.’

“I don’t necessarily mean ‘religious’ mysteries,” Desjarlais explains. “Murder mysteries in general get close to our deepest motives and fears, showing humans in extremis. Such stories have a built-in opportunity to explore life's higher mysteries – not just the mystery of death, but the mystery of undeserved suffering.”

In Bleeder, classics professor Reed Stubblefield, wounded in a school shooting, retreats to a cabin in rural Illinois to recover and to write a book on Aristotle in peace. But the town of River Falls is filled with the ill and infirm -- all seeking the healing touch of the town’s new parish priest, reputed to be a stigmatic.

Skeptical about religion since his wife’s death from leukemia, Reed is nevertheless drawn into a friendship with the cleric, Rev. Ray Boudreau, an amiable Aquinas scholar who collapses and bleeds to death on Good Friday in front of horrified parishioners. A miracle? Or bloody murder?

Once Reed becomes the prime “person of interest” in the mysterious death, he seeks the truth with the help of Aristotle’s logic. But not everyone in town wants this mystery solved.

A former producer with Wisconsin Public Radio, Desjarlais teaches journalism and English at Kishwaukee College in Malta, Ill. His short fiction has appeared in a variety of magazines. A member of Mystery Writers of America, he is listed in Who’s Who in Entertainment and Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers.

Desjarlais’ medieval thriller, Relics, set in Crusader Palestine, was re-issued by Thomas Nelson Publishers in May this year and is available at Amazon.com.

Bleeder (Sophia Institute Press, trade paper, 272 pages, ISBN: 978-1-933184-56-2, $14.95) will be issued August 15, 2009 and will be available at Amazon.com and bookstores everywhere.

Readers may visit http://www.johndesjarlais.com/ for reviews, photos, links related to the novel, and interaction with the author. A 30-second video trailer is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ht1OnlLnwKo.

“I wrote Bleeder as an entertaining read, a requirement of the mystery genre,” Desjarlais says. “But I hope it also leaves a reader thinking – and in wonder.”

-30-

(Some formatting stuff was lost in the copy/paste but that's ok. Please let me know if you forward this to any person, store, or media outlets so I can follow up. Thanks!)

Meet Selena de la Cruz video

2009-07-13T19:20:00.003-05:00

To celebrate reaching page 200 of VIPER, featuring insurance agent (and ex-DEA Special Agent) Selena de la Cruz, I produced a little video profile for her. Check it out here:

http://animoto.com/play/dlXayHf8lFmbTbu3axxtXg

Animoto no longer has an upload link to YouTube, so I'll have to figure out another way to post it there.

5 things I wish someone told me about publishing

2009-07-01T10:05:00.002-05:00

When you're writing, your focus is all about the story and the craft. But there are things about writing and publishing you're never really told along the way. Here are 5 things I wish I'd been told:

1. Just when you think you are done and the manuscript is in its best shape and finally accepted for publication, the agent or editor will ask for lots of re-writing. In my first book, nothing was changed at all. In my second book, the editor requested a few adjustments, nothing big. Those experiences were 15 years ago. Publishing has changed. Today, the competition is so fierce and the output of books so overwhelming (about 20 books PER MINUTE published in the USA) that agents and editors are much more involved in shaping and perfecting the book in order to stand out. My editor for BLEEDER asked the beginning to be shortened a great deal, the ending to be a bit more spectacular, and the motive for the killer to be deepened. There were other things throughout, too many to list - let me just say that at first I was surprised and a little hurt. But - being professional - I agreed that the changes strengthened the work and cranked out the revisions quickly. It is a better book - but I wish I'd known that there was a lot more 'intervention' these days even after acceptance. Well - maybe not. I might have gotten discouraged.

2. You won't believe how many times you'll read your own book in the proofing process. You do want it to be perfect and avoid typos and such. But what tedious work.

3. Promotion and marketing are harder than writing the book, more time-consuming, and potentially a real hindrance to writing. 15 years ago, my publishers invested in my titles with advertising, solicitation of reviews and other things. We've all heard how little publishers are putting into marketing these days, backing only their top-sellers who don't need much publicity anyway. What has made everything harder is the shift culturally from old media to new media, adding loads of work for authors to get noticed in cyberspace as well as public space. Many bookstores are reluctant to host book signings (it's more work for them with little return) and blogs and social spaces can soak up a lot of time with a questionable return. I hope I don't sound like I'm whining - I'm just saying that the business side of writing, the selling side, is a real challenge. There's always something you could be doing, and this can bite into the work you like most - writing.

4. Your book might not get into your local stores or libraries. "But I'm a LOCAL author," you say. That's a plus, but chain store buyers aren't local and don't know you from boo. The smaller, independent stores are better about this, though they check the sales record of your earlier books and if the numbers aren’t great, they won’t carry your new book. Libraries today are strapped for money and many are not purchasing new titles. If you try to set up an event at their place, some want you to donate a copy of your book to the collection (a proposed alternative is to ask if you can sell copies on the premises after your presentation/workshop, and donate 5%-10% of the proceeds to the library book-purchasing fund and then hope they buy a copy of your book with that).

5. If your book DOES get into stores, it won't be there long. The shelf space in a store is valuable real estate, and books are rotated very fast, sometimes every few weeks. That's not much time to create a buzz and build good sales numbers. That's why so much promotion has to be done BEFORE the release date of the book. And if the sales numbers aren’t super – especially if there’s no ‘sellthrough’ (meaning all or most of the copies printed were sold), then your chances of getting published again are smaller, even if you’re a pretty good writer.

All of this is not deterring me from moving ahead with my next book, the sequel to BLEEDER (tentatively titled VIPER). But I know that when I'm done with it - I'm not.

(BLEEDER is due out in August 2009. Look for it at Amazon).

VIPER trailer on YouTube

2009-06-19T14:02:00.004-05:00

The galley proofs for BLEEDER are nearly ready, and I'm about 200 pages into the sequel, VIPER, with Selena De La Cruz as the protagonist (pictured right; photo credit: 123rf.com). This week I hit a plot snag, and to stay motivated I produced a video trailer for it even though it isn't under contract for publication yet. I figure that as I get into the broad and terrifying middle of the novel, I'll need to maintain my vision for it. This is one way. You can see it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY1wljwPe5w

BLEEDER Final Cover - almost

2009-06-17T13:49:00.003-05:00

I received the 'almost' final version of the cover for my mystery BLEEDER today, in two forms: one uses a beard, one doesn't. I preferred the beard image (the publisher wondered if it was distracting). But the story mentions a beard on the cleric and stigmatics usually have a beard as another way of identifying with Christ who had one, too. There is a dramatic reference to this in one of the Servant Songs of Isaiah, long understood by Christians as pointing to Jesus' passion:

"I gave my back to those who beat me,

my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;

My face I did not shield

from buffets and spitting."

(Isaiah 50:6, italics mine)

So I hope the publisher will keep the beard image. It's his call, though.

Sacramental Reading of the Bible

2009-06-16T08:51:00.002-05:00

In my previous post, I considered some reasons why Catholics - devout, practicing Catholics - are largely unfamiliar with the Bible. I must add, however, that when Catholics do read the Scriptures, they read them in a sacramental way, consistent with their approach to Christian spirituality.

What I mean is that, instead of being interested in Bible 'study' per se, they tend to be more interested in a spiritual experience of hearing the Holy Spirit in the sacred 'space' of the page. "Lectio Divina" is an important and ancient practice of reading the Scriptures slowly, line by line, listening for the voice of God there, seeking to encounter the Living Word. It's not about acquiring 'head knowledge' but 'heart knowledge' of the One revealed therein. This isn't to say Protestants don't do the same thing because they do (and more of them are becoming interested in old monastic practices such as Lectio).

Daily devotional guides such as "Magnificat," which are nearly all Scripture, are especially interested in joining the praying person to the rhythm of the overall Church's prayer life. This underscores the Catholic mentality of being part of a community. This sensitivity is much stronger than in Protestant circles, where 'the individual' tends to be more emphasized (A simple illustration of this is the way the creeds are recited in services. Protestants prefer the Apostle's Creed that begins "I believe..." and Catholics use the Nicene Creed that begins "We believe...')

Then there's the praying of The Divine Office, another ancient practice whereby the whole Church, as though breathing together in unison, works through a series of prayers and Bible readings a few times a day. Clergy and 'religious' (people in Orders) do this daily and many laypeople join in. Again, I find it interesting that many Protestants are picking up on this, too, especially Vineyard congregations.

Back to my main point: While Catholics in the pews may be unfamiliar with the Bible, the Church at large is intimately bound to the Scriptures, especially in its worship and prayer life. It would be too much of a generalization to say that while Protestants are studying the Bible, Catholics are praying it. But it wouldn't be far off.

Why Don't Catholics Know the Bible?

2009-06-15T16:43:00.005-05:00

My online "Bible as Literature" class begins today and as students introduce themselves I hear a lot of this: "I was raised Catholic and, despite years of private Catholic school education, I have a limited knowledge of the Bible."

I reassure all students that it's ok to come to the course unacquainted with these ancient texts and no one should feel awkward about it. It's very common.

Still, I find it odd that this is so awfully common among 'cradle Catholics' and I wonder why this is so. I have a few thoughts about it.

First, many life-long Catholics see their Catholic ID as more of an ethnic thing rather than a personal faith thing - kinda like being Jewish but not really believing. Lacking some decisive, self-conscious moment in their lives when they made a clear commitment to belong to Christ wholly - apart from baptismal promises made on their behalf as infants - the 'religious' aspect of being Catholic is de-emphasized - except for making sure all the practices are correct. This may result from a lifelong faith education that tended to focus on traditions of behavior and practices, rather than Biblical study, theology and church history. The fervor of the convert wasn't there. This is a somewhat generalized statement, I know, and I apologize for casting such a wide net. But I find that most college-aged Catholics have been poorly 'catechized' and as a result they reject something they never really understood, and more often than not because they had it 'shoved down my throat' - a phrase I hear often. And they certainly never got any Biblical backing to what they were taught.

But leaving 'cultural' and highly secularized Catholics behind, let's consider those who take their faith more seriously. Even among these Mass-attending, rosary-praying folks, there is very little knowledge of the Bible. Part of this is a religious issue of where the 'authority' lies. For Catholics, it is found in three places:

1. The Bible (although it isn't really taught systematically). For years before Vatican II, laypeople were not encouraged to read the Bible at all, perhaps out of a concern that untrained readers might mis-interpret stuff and get odd ideas, and the Church is big on holding fast with
integrity to a passed-down body of received truths, called "the deposit of faith.' While this attitude has officially changed, there has not been a habit of Bible-reading in Catholic homes for generations, unlike devout Protestant homes.

Even so, there are 4 Scripture readings at every Mass - an Old Testament reading, a Psalm, an epistle, and a Gospel reading. These are carefully chosen and beautifully interwoven according to a theme so they relate to each other. They are selected so that a congregation gets through most of the Bible in a 3-year cycle. However, despite years of exposure, most Catholics don't know the Bible. You can really tell when the readers (lectors) get up to read and stumble all over the passages as though they'd never seen them before. This is astonishing to devout Protestants, who love the Bible, know its books and writers, the historical background, the characters and storylines of narrative sections, and commit passages to memory.

2. The second source of authority is "The Magisterium" of the church, a fancy word for the official teaching that is preserved over the centuries from error. The idea is to keep the 'deposit of faith', received from Jesus and the original 12 apostles, intact and consistent. Study of "The Catechism" is held to be more important, since this is where the teaching of the Church is clarified and systematized. The new version commissioned by John Paul II is elegantly written, by the way. There are loads of great Bible refences in the footnotes. But the discussion of those passages and the ideas in them as explained in the Catechism are considered more important. This is hinted at when 'Learning the Faith' is the phrase you hear most often, not 'learning the Bible.'

3. The third leg of this 'stool' of authority is something called 'sacred Tradition,' a religious term referring to the teaching of the apostles and their official successors under the guidance of the Holy Spirit as promised in John 14:26 (in particular, the successor to the See of Peter, the bishop of Rome). Protestants have a particular problem with this usually because they confuse it with the burdensome legalistic 'traditions' Jesus harshly criticized in Mark chapter 7. Catholics mean something different - as in 2 Thessalonians 2:15 - and this is an unfortunate area of semantic misunderstanding.

Anyway, my point really was this: The Bible is only one of three areas where Catholics derive their understanding of what is true and good in belief and practice, whereas most Protestants (especially more conservative ones) look to the Bible ALONE as their source of spiritual
authority (well, at least their denomination's understanding of it). The Protestant 'battle cry' was 'solo Scriptura' - Scripture alone. As a result, they study it a lot more regularly as individuals and in groups and know it much better. It is the Word of God and it speaks with full and final authority (II Timothy 3:16 is quoted to support this). I don't mean to say that Catholics hold
the Bible in lower regard - they affirm II Timothy 3:16 (if they know it) and regard these texts as inspired and authoritative, too. What Catholics will add is this: remember that the Church was there - and fully authoritative - before the New Testament was put together. The New Testament derives its authority from the Church, which had the final say about which books were genuine and which were spurious. The Bible's authority, historically speaking, rests on the Church's authority. It's an excellent point. But the consequence is this: less Bible reading among Catholics, because the authority is considered to be in the Church, and not so much in the Bible (even though, officially, it is the authoritative Word of God). St. Jerome said "Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ." The Living Word is found, figuratively speaking, in the written word. I wish more Catholics followed Jerome.

Well, I hope some of that made sense. I'd like to see comments from Catholics about why there is so little familiarity with the Bible among Catholics, besides the fact that way too many of them are 'nominal' and 'cultural' Catholics and simply don't care.

One final thought: even the configuration of church design says something about this issue. Protestant churches have the lectern/pulpit front-and-center, a design change since the Reformation when the "Word of God" was declared to be the only source of authority and so it took center stage. Preaching from the Bible is the central part, often the longest part, of Protestant services. For Catholics, the pulpit is off to the side and the 'homily,' usually a lot shorter than any Protestant sermon (and rarely as good), is one brief part of the Mass. Instead, the altar is front-and-center, because that's the central emphasis of worship - experiencing the atoning sacrifice of Christ as it is 're-presented' there in sacramental elements (not
'repeated,' as too many Protestants misunderstand). So Protestants emphasize "the Word," and Catholics/Orthodox divide their worship into two equal parts, the liturgy of the Word and the sacramental liturgy of the Eucharist.

Catholics really ought to become more familiar with the Bible and I'm glad to see earnest Catholic students in my class. My tone will remain objective and academic and they are free to take away whatever religious value they want. Becoming basically "Biblically literate" is important for any educated person and that's all I'm really after.

You know, there are notable efforts to get Catholics to read and understand the Bible; Dr. Scott Hahn, Jeff Cavins, Marcus Grodi and others have active ministries trying to get Catholics to read and study the Scriptures.

It isn't surprising that these guys are all former evangelicals.

"But is there spiritual content?"

2009-06-10T12:16:00.004-05:00

I visited a local Lemstone/Parable book store today to say hello to the book buyer and inquire about a possible author event in late summer or fall to promote my medieval thriller/romance RELICS. She knew and trusted the publisher (Thomas Nelson Inc.) but it didn't seem to matter as much as the answer to her question: "But is there spiritual content?"

I said something about the protagonist struggling to be accepted by his father and in the process learning what it means to be accepted by the heavenly Father. And it's true. But the themes are much broader and deeper than some simple spiritual "lesson"' the reader is supposed to take away from a 320 page novel.

Isn't there "spiritual content" to any thoughtful novel? If done well, novels are about what it means to be truly human -- made in God's image, but fallen. Crime novels like RELICS (and BLEEDER, due out in August) in particular are "spiritual" in content not because they have a not-so-subtle religious message or moral or trite "Biblical basis" but because they deal with greed, fear, revenge, anger, hope, grief, suffering, justice and injustice, social tensions and sometimes redemption. They present homo extremis -- human beings at the extreme of emotions and choices. That's spiritual.

But I knew what she meant by the (innocent) question and she surely meant well. She wanted some assurance that the book was authentically "Christian fiction," inoffensive to conservative customers who come to the store with certain expectations: That it would be as 'safe' as the row of Amish-heroine romances on the shelf behind me in the store, and that it would be inspiring in a way to reinforce one's faith.

What I told the woman was true. But I hope the book is more emotionally complicated than what I told her. The old saying holds true for "Christian" writers as all others: "If you want to send a message, use Western Union." A novel that tries to do so ends up as an illustrated lecture.

I just wanted to tell a heck of a story. Any 'spiritual content' as a take-away value is up to the reader.

BLEEDER Trailer Revised

2009-06-07T08:13:00.003-05:00

Since some images in my draft version were low-resolution and therefore fuzzy, and there were too many medical pix, I adjusted the BLEEDER video trailer yesterday and came up with this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ht1OnlLnwKo

And this is Selena De La Cruz, a minor character in BLEEDER - a Latina insurance agent who will be the protagonist in the sequel. Yes, she's nice to look at but don't mess with her. She learned a few moves at Quantico and can kick your butt. And her car - a juiced-up '69 Dodge Charger - can kick your car's butt.

BLEEDER chapter 1 excerpt

2009-06-02T09:41:00.003-05:00

BLEEDER

by John Desjarlais
Chapter One Excerpt

My Volvo’s windshield wipers slapped away spots of mid-March drizzle, chanting shouldn’t, shouldn’t, shouldn’t. The traffic thinned, the road narrowed to two lanes, the sky turned gun-metal gray, and the Chicago music stations crackled away into static.
The patchwork fields of rural Illinois rolled away from the ditches in soft waves, with snow laying in stripes across the rows of cornstalk stubble, like a lathered but unshaven face. The rusted road signs became harder to read through the chilly mist. When I saw more cows than cars, I wondered if I’d taken a wrong turn. To err is human, to forgive bovine, I told myself, checking the cell phone. Was the signal too weak to reach any place civilized? Even if it could, I’d wait a long time for Triple-A to show up out here in the boonies if I had any trouble.
I imagined the operator saying We need a street address, sir. There isn’t one, I tell you; I’m in the middle of nowhere. What is the nearest address, sir? I’m near a barn with a faded Mail Pouch Chewing Tobacco ad. Community college teachers can’t afford a new car with a global positioning system or the monthly fee to have the service on a cell phone Even I have that, sir. That’s great; maybe it can tell you where I am. Very funny, sir. The truck will still need a number.
I glanced at the torn Triple-A map, draped on the passenger seat. The blue capillaries of county roads spidered out from the state roads’ red arteries. The towns pimpled the white page like blackheads on a freshman’s face. A muscular pick-up truck hissed past, spitting into my windshield. Gun control means using both hands, snickered the bumper sticker. Distracted, I ran over a dead raccoon and the thump of it turned my stomach.
That’s when a familiar heat arose in my chest and my breastbone pressed into my heart, crushing it. The double yellow lines in the road writhed like serpents. I slipped my foot off the gas, angled the wheel, and rolled to a stop in the gravel shoulder. Breathe in, breathe out. In, out. Focus on something. That sign up ahead—the one with the big red star.
It’s not uncommon for gunshot victims, the doctor told me. Anxiety attacks can be a response to a stressful event: an act of violence, a job change, the loss of a spouse by divorce or death. Lucky me: I had all three. I was shot. I was on a Leave Of Absence from the college. And Peggy died when the leukemia came out of remission two years ago.
Breathe in, two, three. Breathe out, two, three. Wait quietly. It will pass. You are not going to get lost. You are not going to die in this lonely place.
The sky lightened. My breastbone released its grip. A pick-up with a horse trailer whooshed by and the Volvo shuddered. My heartbeat returned to a trot from a gallop. You are going to be OK. Keep going. The roadkill and that bumper sticker set you off.
Gun control means using both hands.
Indeed.

The sign ahead was for Red Star Gas and I decided to swallow my city pride and ask for directions. The concrete was veined with cracks and the weeds reached up from them like the hands of buried men clawing their way out. One pump, shrouded in silvery spider webs, was out of service. Discolored paint flaked off the building like scabs. A man with high Indian cheekbones and black hair spraying from a White Sox cap reached my window before I gathered the nerve to unbuckle my seat belt and get out.
“Hey, meester?” He knocked at the window with a gold ring. Tik tik. “You want fill ‘er up?”
His corn-colored teeth spread in a two-octave grin and the dark eyebrows undulated like caterpillars. I checked the gauge, nodded and popped the gas-cap lock.
While he circled to the back, I shouldered open the door and swung my cane into position. The film instructor gave it to me in the hospital and we joked that it should be called Citizen Cane. I dug the rubber tip into the cement, gripped the brass head, and rehearsed how to get out. For six weeks after the hip surgery, my physical therapist Paula taught me in the transfer training how to sit up, how not to twist or cross my leg, since the pin was screwed in, not cemented. She said I’d be OK to drive after two months, provided I kept up with the treadmill, the isokinetic leg presses with ankle weights, and the balancing exercise where I walked through the rungs of a ladder laid on the floor. I’d been good about it, all so that I could retreat to my brother Dan’s hunting cabin by mid-March and get started on the book I’d always wanted to write on Aristotle in peace and quiet. I just expected to do it during a sabbatical leave. Not like this.
The ideal man bears the accidents of life with dignity and grace, making the best of circumstances, Aristotle reminded me.
I levered out.
“You Chicago, eh?” the leathery attendant called.
He aimed the gas pump at me like a pistol.
“Yes,” I replied.
“All the way out here?”
“Visiting relatives.”
“Yeah, sure.” He lowered the nozzle, pumped gas and pointed at Citizen Cane. “What’s wrong with the leg, señor?”
“I was shot. In December.”
The eyebrows turned into Mexican jumping beans. “Ay, caramba,” he said with a whistle. “An accident, no?”
“A college girl with a touchy 9 millimeter in her purse. She pulled it on a rival in a hallway catfight over a boy. I broke it up and—”
When the first bullet hit my chest, I thought of Peggy. Is this what it feels like to die, not in pain, really—the shock prevented that—but in wide-eyed surprise, that it should come so soon and so stupidly? Once the second shot shattered the head of my right femur where it forms step in the acetabular groove of the pelvis and I dropped to the tiles with my blood fanning across the floor, I wished Peggy could have gone like this, not by having her blood poisoned by leukemia, draining her life away.
“¿Señor? Then wha’ happen?”
“Well, I got in the way, that’s all,” I concluded.
“Anyone else hurt?”
I shrugged. “Just me. Some guys have all the luck.”
“So you are here to see the healer, eh?”
I squinted at him. “The what?”
“The healer in River Falls? You know, for the leg.”
“I’m going to River Falls,” I conceded, “But I’m not going to see any—”
“Ees ok,” the man said with a cackle. “I talk to a dozen people like you today who are lost. The only reason people from Chicago are on this road is to find him. I hope, señor, you have made your motel reservations.”
“I’m staying in my brother’s hunting cabin in Tall Pines Park.”
“That is good, very good,” the man said with a wag of his head, “for there are no rooms for twenty miles around.”

BLEEDER

A miracle? Or bloody murder?

Coming August 2009

Sophia Institute Press

for more information, visit www.johndesjarlais.com

RELICS trailer on YouTube

2009-06-01T17:07:00.004-05:00

I posted a video trailer on RELICS today at YouTube. You can see it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dv2HmgPjwLQ

A Poem for Pentecost

2009-05-31T20:52:00.003-05:00

It seems that Pentecost is the only major Christian holiday that hasn't yet been co-opted by the secular culture and made banal by generic 'holiday' symbols and consumer customs. But - what if it were?

If Pentecost Was Commercialized

Doves dangle in shop windows.
Sale! Get in the Spirit!
Special deals on fans to blow a wind in any upper room.
Spicy dinners to give everyone a tongue of fire.
Songs with lyrics no one can quite understand
but if asked they say
“She rides a Honda in Shandala.”
Kids dressed as holy ghosts
sing Happy Birthday to god-knows-who.
And in Peter’s honor, the drinking starts at 9 a.m.

BLEEDER Trailer

2009-05-29T18:57:00.002-05:00

Made a :30 trailer for BLEEDER today. Watch at these locations:

http://animoto.com/play/DZLJfx0e2L0kQjXJD5vgXQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPt5y1p5yJc

A miracle? Or bloody murder?

Coming this August from Sophia Institute Press

Deconstructing the Cathedral

2009-05-26T08:55:00.002-05:00

Here's a link to the essay that took Honorable Mention in the 1997 Writers Digest competition and appeared in (the now defunct literary online journal) New Pantagruel.

http://www.newpantagruel.com/2006/05/deconstructing.php

BLEEDER is coming August 5

2009-05-19T11:18:00.000-05:00

My contemporary mystery, BLEEDER, is due for release during the first week of August, in time for the Catholic Marketing Network Convention and Catholic Writers Guild Conference LIVE! held concurrently in Somerset, N.J., and in plenty of time for Bouchercon, the country's biggest mystery conference coming in October.

Better yet, Sophia Institute Press says the title will go to a print run immediately and be part of their bookstore automatic shipment program, instead of being listed only at their web site for three months. That means the book will be distributed through B&T, Ingram, and Amazon right away, and available in stores from the get-go.

If you are a retailer browsing here, you'll find the following information useful:

Bleeder

by John Desjarlais

ISBN: 978-1-933184-56-2
Format: Paperback
Trim size: 5.5 x 8.5 inches
Page Count: 257
Price: $12.95 (probably)

Sophia Institute Press Business Terms:

http://www.sophiainstitute.com/client/client_pages/terms.cfm

Our Foreign Distributors:

http://www.sophiainstitute.com/client/client_pages/distributors.cfm

Our Contact Information:

http://www.sophiainstitute.com/client/client_pages/contactus.cfm

Individuals can order in these ways in August:

Orders can be placed online: http://www.sophiainstitute.com/showproducts.cfm?FullCat=306
by phone: 1-800-888-9344
by fax: 1-888-288-2259
by email: orders@sophiainstitute.com

and, of course, by visiting your favorite book store.

NASA Finds the Hand of God

2009-05-18T08:08:00.000-05:00

"I am He, I am the First and the Last. Indeed, My hand has laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand has stretched out the heavens."

-Isaiah 48:12,13

PROMO Day session on Agents

2009-05-10T16:36:00.000-05:00

PROMO DAY MAY 9, 2009
JOHN DESJARLAIS - FINDING AN AGENT
TRANSCRIPT
johndesjarlais: Molly, I'll let you begin.

Molly_Swoboda: Good day, all, and welcome to the "Finding An Agent" workshop. My name is Molly Swoboda and I will be your moderator for this session.

Molly_Swoboda: We will have a Question & Answer period following the presentation and ask you to observe a little protocol so we can be sure to get to everyone's questions.

Molly_Swoboda: If you have a question, please enter a question mark (?) in the Chat Box.

Molly_Swoboda: I will call your name during the Q&A, and you can type your question at that time.

Molly_Swoboda: I would now like to introduce you to John Desjarlais, our presenter, and multi-published author of historical mystery.

Molly_Swoboda: And *extra* congratulations, John, on the recent release of your latest book, Relics, from Thomas Nelson Publishers (http://www.thomasnelson.com/ 800-251-4000 ext 2180 to order).

johndesjarlais: Thank you, Molly. Hi, everyone. Glad to be here today.

I have 3 books out and I've had 3 agents, and I found them different ways

For details on the books, see my web site www.johndesjarlais.com

My first agent, who sold my historical novels, came via a writers conference I attended.

I pitched "The Throne of Tara" to several editors/agents there and they all passed

but one referred me to a friend who had opened a new agency, so I contacted him

and 6 weeks later he asked for the ms and 2 weeks later offered representation.

That agent retired and I searched for another for a long time (I'll discuss how later)

and finally connected with the editor of my second book who had become an agent, and he took me on.

Then, after about two years of shopping my mystery, he was in a serious car accident and had to leave the biz

leaving me in the cold. But in an online conference, I talked about my book and there was an agent in the discussion who asked to see the book and she took me on.

So this can happen many ways.

You probably all know that book publishers today are generally not accepting unsolicited ms or unagented ms for economic reasons and due to the load

The old days of interns sorting through the slush pile are over

With smaller staffs, editors rely more on agents who make their money from commissions (15-20%) and they know...

that agents will only pitch books they know will sell. So agents act as filters.

So it's important to find an agent who represents your kind of work, who'll be excited about your book and have the right connections

Agents have specialties - some only handle literary fiction, some won't look at genre work at all (SF, detective etc)

They don't handle short stories and very few will handle poetry - there's no money in it for them.

Another reason you might not need an agent is if your work is highly specialized, in which case you can submit on your own to small presses.

Many agents won’t shop small presses because, again, there’s no $ there for them.

Some writers like to be independent and just shop their own stuff and then hire a lawyer (who knows about book contracts) after getting an offer

And that's ok, They say the best time to get an agent is when you have an offer :-)

Let me say a few things about what agents do.

First, they're usually publishing veterans, often former editors with a lot of industry connections. Through all their relationships, they know editors by name

and what they like. An agent cultivates these contacts and they know about market trends, when editors move around, new imprints etc.

So an agent will get your work read faster by the right people and save you months of looking on your own

Agents understand contracts - publishers are out for their own best interests, not yours, so an agent reads all that legal stuff and gets the best deal for you (and him)

Agents keep in mind other marketing possibilities such as audio books, book clubs, action figures - ha - "subsidiary rights" --

and they work with the subsidiary rights dept of the publisher.

Agents track payments (very important) making sure the publisher pays the advance on time and royalties on time (publishers are famous for late payment)

An agent will deal with any payment conflicts, too.

So agents are advocates - they work for you. They get your book read and noticed.

Now, researching agents and finding the right one for you...

Researching is easy, getting one is harder. Anyway, there are 4 places to start to get names of agents who specialize in the material you write:

1. printed guides like Writers Market, Guide to Literary Agents (published by the Writers Market people), Jeff Herman's Guide, and Sally Stuart's Guide (for inspirational stuff)

You might find these in the library, tho they'll be older, and at chain bookstores (about $25 each.) There are indexes in the back listing agents by type of stuff they handle.

You must send stuff to agents who handle that material. Don't send your romance to an agent who says, in the guidelines, that they won’t look at genre fiction.

There's another book called LMP - Literary Market Place - a HUGE book with every agent, publisher, paper supplier etc in it - hard to research agents in it. Just alphabetical with addresses and contact info; no guidelines.

2. Writers Conferences. Agents go to these looking for new clients. Research the conference to find out who is going and go to the conference where agents interested...

Tannia-Germany: !

in your kind of work will be. Most conferences are listed in the April (or is it May?) issues of The Writer and Writers Digest magazines.

Check their websites/brochures to see what agents are attending. Often, writers sign up for very brief 'pitch appointments' and you get some face time with agents that way

3. acknowledgement pages in books. Often a writer will thank his/her agent. If the book is similar to yours, then put that agent on your list.

4. The Internet, of course. But don't just google 'literary agents' or you'll get too much. I'd start with www.aar-online.org which is the site for the AAR, ...

Association of Author's Representatives. This is a professional group with a code of ethics that agents subscribe to, and none of them charge reading fees.

Most reputable agents don't charge a reading fee, since they make their living from commissions. Beware of anyone charging a reading fee or evaluation fee.

KarinaFabian: !

They're usually predators. Some legit agents are charging a fee, tho, as a way to slow the flood of submissions. They refund it if they take you on.

Look - anyone can hang out a shingle and call themselves an agent. They don't need a license or anything. So be careful. Find "preditors and editors' on the web if unsure

It's a listing of agents that rip people off

When you make a list of agents, then you contact them in the way their guidelines say. Most want a brief "query letter" that pitches your book. One of my handouts is a sample query with notes.

Just give the agent what they ask for in the guidelines. If only a query, then only a query. Some also ask for a synopsis, or outline, or first three chapters, or first 50 pages.

Don't get fancy with colored paper or perfume - they'll laugh and toss it out.

Most agents accept multiple queries today, knowing the competition and slow turn-around time. They'll say so in their guidelines.

In a PS, say 'This is a multiple submission" (or "simultaneous submission" - same thing)

Then they know. If any asks for the whole ms (lucky day!), that agent should be the only one looking at it. So in your cover letter assure them that "this is an exclusive review."

OK, I'll stop here and see if there are questions.

premiumpromotions: ?

Molly_Swoboda: Tannia had to step away for a moment, but left this comment regarding agent appointments.
Molly_Swoboda: Tannia-Germany: I attend the Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany every year. There in order to meet with an agent you have to make a previous appointment. If no, no chance to see one.

Molly_Swoboda: I believe karina also had a comment.

KarinaFabian: comment on finding agents at conferences: the MuseOnline conference will have agents hearing pitches this year, I believe. its online and free.

johndesjarlais: Yes, sometimes in registering for a conference you sign up for the pitch sessions at the same time.

KarinaFabian: let me see if I can find the website

johndesjarlais: ok, thx

Molly_Swoboda: premiumpromotions, you had a question?

KarinaFabian: http://www.themuseonlinewritersconference.com/ and she will take registration for the agents.

premiumpromotions: How much (do you think) does an agent really look at the query...or does an agents go by referrals?

johndesjarlais: They look at the query and can tell in an instant if it's worth finishing it. It must have a great hook, and be the best writing you ever did. As for referrals...

http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/

your chance of getting your outline/synopsis/ms read is better - that's all.

johndesjarlais: A referral or just meeting at a conference is no guarantee. These are business people.

Molly_Swoboda: If you have a question, please enter ? so you can be recognized

Ladyill: ?

johndesjarlais: And btw, getting an agent is no guarantee the book will sell, either. BLEEDER was shopped 2 years with no takers.

Molly_Swoboda: Lady?

Carmen__Davis: ?

Ladyill: I'm currently living in Senegal (Africa) what about writers like me. How do we connect with Agents other than the net?

Margay: ?

johndesjarlais: Got me there. Seems to me the Internet is the best option. Anyone else have advice for Lady?

premiumpromotions: unfortunately, we who live away from the conferences are at a disadvantage

premiumpromotions: My suggestions is make BIG friends through he Internet...and try and get a referral

Molly_Swoboda: Carmen, did you have a question?

johndesjarlais: Well, I'm just saying it's one way. Contacting agents directly by mail or email (if they take email queries) is still the standard way.

Carmen__Davis: Since there are hundreds of agents, would you recommend picking one close to your geographical area?

johndesjarlais: No. Geography has little to do with it. Pick a reputable agent with a good sales record who handles your kind of work.

Molly_Swoboda: Margay? Your question.

Margay: If you write across genres - say, adult and YA - should you find an agent who takes on both or go for two different agents?

johndesjarlais: And it doesn't need to be a New York agent. Many are there, but in an age of the www, faxes and so on , location doesn't matter as much anymore.

johndesjarlais: Different genres...hmmm. The best thing would be to try the larger agencies first where they handle a greater variety of material. that way, ...

dinamalki: ?

Molly_Swoboda: dina - you're next

dinamalki: who pays the agent's commission?

premiumpromotions: ?

johndesjarlais: the Agency might have an agent who manages YA and another who does Adult - but it's all in one agency. So Go with one agency, preferably a larger one that handles a greater variety of stuff...

johndesjarlais: since once you are with an agent, you are in an exclusive relationship with that agency by contract. Done

johndesjarlais: Dina, the agent’s commission comes from the sale and subsequent royalties of your book. If you get an advance of, say $1,000, the agent gets 15% or 20% of it. After the advance is ‘earned out,’ Royalty checks are sent to the agent, who keeps his cut and makes out a new check to you for the balance. done

Molly_Swoboda: premium. Your question

premiumpromotions: Is there a service out there who would take over the books/administration of sending out queries/submissions, and then keep track of acceptances/rejections, etc. Does this make sense?

johndesjarlais: Yes, there's one in the USA called "Writers Relief" and they always have ads in the writer magazines. I've heard mixed reviews about their effectiveness. You're MUCH ...

johndesjarlais: better off doing this work yourself. I'd never outsource my query-sending.

Molly_Swoboda: John, I've been hearing a lot about termination clauses with agents.

premiumpromotions: interesting...thank you

Molly_Swoboda: What happens if you decide to part ways.

johndesjarlais: Yes, there's always a termination clause in the contract. Contracts are generally for 3 years and automatically renew, but the relationship can be ended by a written notice, often thirty days in advance,...

Ladyill: ?

Molly_Swoboda: I've heard recently through some of the Guilds about the "in perpetuity" clause. Have you encountered that?

johndesjarlais: by either party. If the agent has sold anything for you, though, he keeps getting his cut. And if houses are looking at your ms - houses he submitted to - and any of them take it, he's still the agent

Molly_Swoboda: Thanks. Lady -- your question

Ladyill: I signed a contract for 5 years with a Canadian publishing house. Is that normal?

johndesjarlais: If the agent has sold anything for you, he keeps getting his cut forever,...

johndesjarlais: and if a house he submitted to already takes it, he's still the agent for it. done. now lady...

johndesjarlais: 5 years with a publishing house? Not an agent? Hmm. I can understand if they asked for a first look at your next book (or 2) - something I don’t like to be bound to...

johndesjarlais: It sounds a bit unusual to me.

Molly_Swoboda: We have about 3 minutes remaining. Quick last question?

Ladyill: ?

Molly_Swoboda: Lady?

Ladyill: Not an agent. They published my erotica ebook Two-Play

Ladyill: So far poor sales and no request for a follow up or anything else

johndesjarlais: Well, if it works for you and gives you a sense of security and fair play, ok. But I'd think it would prevent you from submitting work anywhere else. ...

karinafabian: !

johndesjarlais: Better look at the contract closely to see if you can publish other work anywhere else.

Molly_Swoboda: One minute, folks.

johndesjarlais: I'll move to the Promo room after this to continue chatting.

Ladyill: Ok. Thank you John

Molly_Swoboda: Karina has one last remark

karinafabian: most contracts are for rights for the book for multiple years--most of mine have been 3--they don't prevent me form publishing elsewhere, just not that particular book can

karinafabian: be resold until the contract is terminated.

karinafabian: done

Molly_Swoboda: Suggest we move to the Promo Chat Room. Our next presenter, Carolyn Howard-Johnson

larriane has joined.

Molly_Swoboda: is ready to take the floor

Molly_Swoboda: Great presentation, John.

Carolyn_Howard-Johnson: Are we about ready to talk about queries!!???

johndesjarlais: Thanks, all. Hope some of this helped.

Jo_L: Thank you John for all the great info. feel free to carry on the discussion in the PROMO chatroom. or stick around and talk queries...

johndesjarlais: Best wishes, everyone. I look forward to meeting some of you over at my web site, http://www.johndesjarlais.com/

Welcome PROMO Day visitors

2009-05-08T20:36:00.000-05:00

Welcome to anyone visiting from the Saturday, May 9 PROMO Day event. I'm posting this the night before so that visitors can easily find info on my books.

For a bio, story summaries, reviews and links to topics related to the stories, visit my web site.

BLEEDER, a contemporary mystery, is due out in August 2009 from Sophia Institute Press. It is entering the last proofing stages and seems to be on schedule. It will be available only from the publisher's web site for the first three months, then in bookstores and through other online booksellers after that (I think they want to see how the sales go online before deciding how many to print for broader distribution).

Bleeder by John Desjarlais
ISBN: 978-1-933184-56-2
Format: Paperback
Trim size: 5.5 x 8.5 inches
Page Count: to be determined (about 270)
Price: to be determined (probably $14.95)

RELICS, a medieval thriller/romance, was re-released in a second edition May 4 by Thomas Nelson Publishers. The previous post on this blog has information on ordering this title (ie, because their web site has a glitch, buyers need to use the toll free phone ordering number for now: 800-251-4000 ext 2180).

THE THRONE OF TARA is based on the thrilling true story of Columba of Iona, the hot-headed monk who went to war over a book, and in remorse over the thousands slain exiled himself among the savage Picts of Scotland, where he dueled the druids - miracles versus magic!

(originally published by Crossway Books, re-issued through iUniverse.com in December 2000) - order directly from their site.

RELICS now available!

2009-05-06T13:32:00.000-05:00

My medieval thriller/romance, RELICS (2nd Edition), is now available. Visit the Thomas Nelson Publishers website -- here. -- to purchase ($14.99)

However -- If the "Buy Now" button redirects you to another bookseller, please don't do that. This new edition will not be available in those other places. Instead, order from Nelson by phone toll free at 800-251-4000 Ext 2180 (those other places will have the old 1993 edition, not this updated edition).

A suspicious cathedral fire.

A stolen relic.

A terrorist plot to kill the king of France.

Intrigue. Betrayal. Romance.

Another day in the 13th Century.

ISBN: 0840767358

ISBN-13: 9780840767356

Format: Trade Paper

Trim Size: 6.00 x 9.00 x 0.72

Price: $14.99

Page Count: 320

For reviews and other information, visit my web site.

Meet Selena

2009-04-20T12:00:00.000-05:00

In my writing, I try scenes with characters that may or may not end up in the book. It's a way to build backstory and develop character. And it's good practice when I hit a snag. Here's one that may or may not end up in Day of the Dead, the sequel to Bleeder featuring insurance agent Selena De La Cruz:

When the tire salesman saw her walk in, he squared his shoulders, straightened his polyester tie, and swaggered around the counter.

“Helloooo, little lady,” he crooned.

Selena, inspecting the American Racing rim display on the wall, pivoted to face him. She brushed aside her midnight hair.

“Oh, I see,” the man said, shading his eyes against the sharp April glare in the display windows. “Es-pahn-yohl, huh? Uno moh-men-toh, ok? We got a guy in the service bays who-”

“I speak English just fine.”

He raised an eyebrow. “All right, then. Great. So - what can I do for you?”

“I need two tires.”

“Minivan?”

“Car.”

“Compact?”

“Full size.”

He snapped his fingers. “We can do that.”

He sauntered behind the counter leaving a cloud of Brut in his wake. Selena waved it away. The man tapped the computer screen and it glowed to life. “I have some questions first, OK? Do you have an account with us?”

“No, I’m just passing through and-”

“No problem. We’ll get you set up. Your name, miss?”

Selena wagged a not-so-fast finger at him. “Let me see what you’ve got, first.”

“Fair enough,” the salesman said. “Next question: How fast do you drive?”

“Pretty fast.”

“I’ll bet you do,” he replied with a wink. “Come this way.”

He led her to the wall where various tires were mounted. He rapped a hairy knuckle on the third sample with the three-figure price tag and launched into a honeyed spiel. “Now this one, little lady, is a passenger touring series model with innovative roundness and a molecular carbon black and silica formula for safe handling in wet conditions like we get here in Illinois.” He pulled a shiny penny from his shirt pocket and stuck it in the treads. “And see these circumferential grooves? They channel water away for added safety. Best of all, they’re rated at ninety miles an hour.”

“Not good enough,” Selena said. “I need performance radials optimized for rolling resistance and high speed handling.”

"Heavy foot, huh?” he whispered.

She shrugged.

“Over 90?”

“Like 120.”

He glanced at her neon lime Mui Mui high heels. “In those?” he asked.

“Barefoot, actually.”

His jaw dropped.

She leaned forward and eyed his plastic nametag. “Vinny, is it? Look, Vinny, I need two 75 series 225-75-fifteens to fit American Racing Torq Thrust rims, type M.”

“Geezuz, lady, you drive a dragster or something?”

She planted her palms on her hips. “‘69 Dodge Charger with a 6-point-one liter late-model Hemi and a single-plane intake manifold with four-barrel throttle body, 650 horse, a Gear Vendors overdrive unit, a Dana 60 Rear End and dual three-inch custom exhaust pipes I fabbed myself.”

She waited.

He laughed. A real belly-wheezer. He pinched his eyes. Slapped his knee. “This is a joke, right? A Dana Rear End! Hoo-boy! Did Joey hire you to do this? Who are you?”

“My name is Selena, gringo tonto,” she said. “Do you have the tires or not?”

At home, when she blustered in the door fuming and told her brother Lorenzo, he guffawed so hard he dropped the videogame control.

“So did you buy the tires or what?” he asked when he caught his breath.

“Are you kidding?” she huffed, hands waving wildly. “From that idiota estúpido?”

Her mother leaned out the kitchen door. “Why did you say that to the man, mija? Ay! Do you want to give Mexican women a reputation?”

“Yes, for being strong.”

“Mexican men do not like their women strong.”

“He wasn’t Mexican, Mami.”

Her mother shook a wooden spoon at her. “Listen to me, Selena: You must be like la Virgen de Guadalupe – quiet. Eyes lowered in respeto. How else will you ever find a husband?”

“What’s worse,” Lorenzo said with a snicker, “is this guy is gonna talk all day about a foxy Mexican chica named Selena Gringo Tonto.”

Oh, and Happy Birthday to brand-new-Daddy Matthew.

Promo Day!

2009-04-19T09:50:00.000-05:00

Promo Day 2009, a series of online workshops about book marketing and promotion, will be held Saturday, May 9. For information and registration, see http://jolinsdell.tripod.com/promoday and http://promoday.blogspot.com/

If you're a writer with titles to plug, this is an opportunity to learn about the business side of books and engage in BSP - Blatant Self Promotion - which will be welcomed and encouraged. If you're an avid reader interested in communicating with authors, join hundreds of others in doing so through the various chatrooms that day.

Schedule of OnlineWorkshop/Seminars (times are Central European Time, 14:00 is 8 am Eastern Time USA, 7 am Central.). Yours truly will offer a chatroom session at 11 am Eastern, 10 am Central):

14:00 Lael Johnson - Blogging and Journaling
15:00 John Evans - The Age of Networking: Tips to Survive in Today's information Age
16:00 Karina Fabian - Marketing for Beginners
17:00 (10 am Central Time USA) John Desjarlais - Finding an Agent
18:00 Carolyn Howard Johnson - Query Letters as Promotion: Make Them Picture Perfect!
19:00 Elysabeth Eldering- Hosting Authors on Virtual Book Tours
20:00 Joyce Anthony - Promoting with Twitter
21:00 Ron Berry - Character websites
22:00 Devon Ellington - Creating and maintaining a successful writer's blog.
23:00 Carol Denbow - Technical Aspects

Catholic Writers Guild Conference Live!

2009-04-18T11:44:00.000-05:00

For Immediate Release

Catholic Writers Guild, Catholic Marketing Network Hold Writers' Conference

The Catholic Writers' Guild, in conjunction with the Catholic Marketing Network, will host its first-ever Catholic Writers' Conference LIVE! at the Doubletree Hotel & Executive Meeting Center, Somerset, NJ, from Aug 5-7, 2009.

The conference will host publishers, editors and authors from all aspects of the Catholic writing world, including magazines, devotionals, novels and educational materials. The panel discussions, presentations and workshops will cover all aspects of writing, including generating query letters, crafting a good story, worldbuilding, marketing finished works and more.

In addition, editors from several Catholic publishers will be on hand to share their wisdom and hear authors propose their works. The Catholic Marketing Network's International Trade Show will serve as the exhibition floor for the convention, giving writers a chance to browse the booths, investigate other publishing companies, and meet with the published authors at book signings hosted by the Catholic Writers' Guild.

The CWG also has its own booth, where it will feature books by its members. Presenters for the conference include: author/Sophia Press submissionseditor Regina Doman (Angel in the Waters); Pauline Books and Media Editor Sister Maria Grace, CEO of Ignatius Press Mark Brumley (How Not to ShareYour Faith), Susan Brinkmann editor of Canticle Magazine, Lisa Wheeler, Executive Vice President of the Maximus Group (PR and marketing firm for The Passion of the Christ), author/Ascension Press publisher Matt Pinto (Do Adam and Eve Have Belly Buttons?), short story writer Arthur Powers and mystery author John Desjarlais (RELICS, BLEEDER).

"This is a fantastic opportunity for both writers and publishers to connect," said science fiction writer and Catholic Writer's Guild President Karina Fabian. "The CMN has been especially generous in offering to share its facilities and programs with us, which really enhances the quality of the conference for attendee and presenter."

Conference Coordinator and CWG Vice President Ann Lewis adds, "There will be a lot of good information, encouragement and learning opportunities for Catholic authors at our live conference. Our goal is to help good Catholic writers to get published. The world needs their words."

The Catholic Writers' Guild has hosted two highly successful on-line conferences.

To register or for more information, go to http://www.catholicwritersconference.com/. Registration is $80 until June 1st, $99 until July 31st and $110 at the door.

For more information, E-mail: annlewis@joesystems.com or karina@fabianspace.com

(Well, as noted above, yours truly will attend to promote RELICS and BLEEDER and to guide seminars in fiction).

Here She Is!

2009-04-14T20:47:00.000-05:00

"Before you were formed in the womb I knew you."

Jeremiah 1:5

Lillian Emma has arrived

2009-04-12T13:26:00.000-05:00

Lillian Emma, my first granddaughter, arrived safely in the world this Easter morning at 1:15 am, at 7 pounds and 19 inches. Couldn't have asked for a better Easter present! What better day for this to have happened? Alleluia!