It’s a poor writer who blames her tools…

November 21, 2015November 23, 2015 ~ Jonna Hawker Turek ~ Leave a comment

This has been an interesting week. I’ve spent a lot of time watching webinars on improving my skills and craft, and keeping up on world news.

My activities intersected when I read this quote from Carly Fiorina (posted on Townhall.com, 11/20/15, from a speech following the Paris terrorist attacks)

This Is a War We Must Wage and Win

…ISIS is becoming increasingly technologically sophisticated. They are utilizing encrypted communications that allow their recruits to disappear. They have established a 24-hour help desk to help fighters evade law enforcement.

How does this quote relate to my time spent learning the tools I need to become a better writer? It shows how important it is to keep current on technologies as they become available to us. We can be more successful, whether for good or evil, by utilizing new skills and processes.

tools1 One of the tools I had been dragging my feet about is the writers’ software, Scrivener. I continued to struggle with all the complicated formatting issues of Word because I was afraid of Scrivener’s learning curve, even though fellow writers raved about it.

When I asked my son, here on a visit from Italy, to help with a problem I was having formatting a Word file, he suggested I use Scrivener. He uses it in his translating work.

I finally bit the bullet and downloaded the free trial. It looked just as complicated as I’d feared and seemed to dry up my creative juices as soon as I opened the program. However, after walking through the help files, followed by watching a webinar, I’m flying through the outline and first draft of my current work in progress, A Corpse in the Chapel.

My latest book, A Body in the Belfry, releasing in all formats 12/1/15, is the last I will produce the old way. I’ve become a confirmed Scrivener fan.

This year, my list of things to be thankful for, as we sit down to Thanksgiving Dinner, will include the Scrivener program and all the wonderful training videos out there.

Wishing you a blessed Thanksgiving.

Interview with fellow author, Maureen K. Howard

November 14, 2015November 13, 2015 ~ Jonna Hawker Turek ~ 1 Comment

Welcome Reader, to November’s Second Saturday Author Interview.

My guests today are the mother-daughter team who write as Maureen K. Howard, Maureen Kovach and Brigette Howard.

Thank you for joining us today, Maureen and Brigette. I know my readers are eager to learn more about you and how you create your charming characters. Just to give our readers who may not have read your books an idea of your style, here’s an excerpt from my review of Sunny Side Up from this past March:

Sunny Side Up lives up to its title, as the main characters are indefatigably cheerful, even when enmeshed in the most devastating situations.

Fans of zany, madcap female amateur detectives will love boating on Lake Erie with BFF’s Francie and June, an unlikely match-up whose friendship holds fast as they leap into one ill-advised adventure after another.

Now, let’s learn more about this dynamic duo:

Maureen and Brigette, when did you publish your first book, Sunny Side Up?

Sunny Side Up was published on November 21, 2014, just in time for the holidays.

How long did it take from the first glimmer of an idea until publication?

Brigette and I toyed around with the idea of writing a book for about three years before we finally decided to quit talking about it and do it. Once we got it going, the actual writing took about six months, and then we had to figure out how to get it published. That was probably more work than the writing because it was all brand new territory. I Skyped with my sister’s friend in England who gave me a road map for the journey. From there, we joined lots of online author support groups and asked lots of questions. All told, I’d say close to four years. Seeing that first novel in print and holding it in my hands was unlike any feeling I’ve had since Christmas Day when I was four years old.

I know exactly how you felt, Maureen. You and your daughter write as a team. I’m curious about how this duet of words works. Can you explain the process?

It’s unusual, or so they tell me, but to us it’s the most natural thing. I can’t imagine doing this on my own. Brigette is the idea girl. We plot out a rough outline together. She comes up with so many creative scenes and puts her thoughts down in a shared Google Doc. I then stretch, expand, and polish the material. We both go over and over the whole thing, adding and refining all the time. I love writing the scenic descriptions and creating realistic dialogue. We’ve been told we have a unique voice, and I suppose that’s due to two voices melding into one.

As a retired English teacher, what are your thoughts on the current crop of independent authors, as far as grammar, punctuation and the mechanics of the written word are concerned?

I am proud to be in the company of so many independent authors who are meticulous about what they publish, but as in all fields, there are those who are in a rush and will sacrifice quality for quantity. I love to promote other independent authors who exemplify superior skill and craftsmanship. If an author writes a good story, her readers won’t care who published the book.

Do you think your teaching background helps in the editing process?

Without a doubt! I am obsessive when it comes to sentence structure, grammar, and punctuation. (Notice the Oxford comma-LOL). I see errors even when I’m not looking for them. They’re everywhere. They haunt my dreams. After I have edited our manuscripts to death, I do it again, and then send it to a professional editor.

I noticed your publisher is listed as Silver Phoenix Publishing. Is this the same Silver Phoenix Publishing best known for comic books and trading cards? If so, how did you make the connection to have them publish your cozy mystery book?

There is no connection, darn it. I checked out the name when we were forming our partnership and since there wasn’t one in Ohio, we used it. It was the code name for my youngest daughter’s unborn child-but that’s a story for another day. (She since gave birth to my wonderful granddaughter, Evelyn Lilith.)

You bring the Lake Erie neighborhoods to life in your stories. Have you lived in Ohio all your life?

No. I lived in Michigan for my first forty years. I now reside in Ohio, and my family has been enjoying the beautiful shores and islands of Lake Erie for over twenty years.

Do you have an agent?

No. We are doing the Indie thing.

Is Francie’s personality a combination of yours and your daughter’s?

I have pondered this question myself. She definitely has personality traits that we share, such as fierce loyalty, a sense of humor in the face of adversity, and the love of all cheese and fine wine.

Do you have a work in progress or new release you would like to tell us about?

Yes! We are so excited for the release of Deviled. Book 2 in the Lake Erie Mysteries series will be available for purchase any day now.

Where can readers learn more about you and your books?

Please visit (the sites below). We love interacting with our readers!

lakeeriemysteries.com

Facebook.com/maureenhowardauthor

Twitter: @mhowardbooks

mhowardbooks@gmail.com

At left is a photo of Brigette with her dog, Isabelle, and me with Joe, the golden doodle.

It was a pleasure answering your questions, Jonna. I can’t wait to read all your other author interviews and gaining insight into their lives and writing process.

Hugs, Maureen

Thank you so much for sharing with us, Maureen. I’m sure we all look forward to more entertaining, egg-titled adventures with Francie and her friends.

A Body in the Belfry Now Available in Print from Amazon

November 7, 2015November 9, 2015 ~ Jonna Hawker Turek ~ 1 Comment

The long wait is over. Print copies of A Body in the Belfry are now available. The digital version is in pre-order from all the major dealers for release December 1.

View on Amazon

Now I’m in the crucial (and dreaded) promotion/marketing phase.

Thanks to my launch team and all my supportive fans for sharing news about my books and posting positive reviews. What would I do without you?

I am being interviewed for 30 minutes on the Rave Reviews Book Club radio show, Rave Waves, this coming Thursday, November 12 beginning at 9:00 a.m. (Pacific Time). Listen in by going to Bring on the Spotlight. You can submit questions during the live broadcast by tweeting with the tag: #RRBCBringOnTheSpotlight. The program archives are available at http://hosts.blogtalkradio.com/ravereviewsbookclub.

I’m learning to create trailers (video snippets) for my books. The one for A Body in the Belfry is below:

Be sure to watch for next week’s blog when I interview the team writing as Maureen Kovach, authors of Sunny Side Up and other cozies featuring life on Lake Erie.

Progress Report: A Body in the Belfry Launch Update

October 31, 2015 ~ Jonna Hawker Turek ~ Leave a comment

In response to the generous, encouraging fans who have asked about my upcoming release in the First Ladies Club series, I am happy to report “A Body in the Belfry” is on track for an early release.

Thanks to hard work by my beta readers and editors, I am reviewing the proof copy this weekend and anticipate publication of the print version to happen mid-November, just in time for Christmas gift-giving ;-).

The digital version for Kindle and other ebook-readers will be in pre-order until December.

There is still time to join my launch team and receive a free Advance Review Copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review. If you would like to participate and are willing to read and post your review when the print copy releases in November, drop me an email, telling me a little about yourself, to: jbhawker@jbhawker.com and I will send you a PDF copy of the book.

Besides posting reviews on Amazon, members of a launch team are encouraged to promote a book on social media and share with family and friends.

No writer can be a success without the generous support of fans like you.

Thanks so much.

Controversy: Good or bad?

October 24, 2015 ~ Jonna Hawker Turek ~ 1 Comment

My first book, Hollow, is featured in the Halloween reads on the indieBRAG website this week. I was thrilled a few years ago when my first foray into indie publishing was awarded this prestigious award.

Since then, I wrote three more books in this series featuring former pastor’s wife, Bunny Elder, and have begun a new series, as well.

When I first published Hollow, I didn’t list it as Christian Fiction because I considered it to be more a book about a woman who happened to be a Christian than inspirational reading. Some readers complained about the Scripture verses and overt religious content, even going so far as to accuse me of trying slip one over on them by not labeling the book Christian. So, I added the Christian label. You guessed it; this brought complaints and bad reviews from readers expecting a very different kind of novel.

While most reviewers seemed to get it, a few did not. However, the ratings remained in the 4.5 star range.

Once the series was complete, I set this book as perma-free. That’s when the attacks began in earnest. Even though I tweaked the description to alert readers to the nature of the book, the ratings have fallen to 3.7 stars, as of this morning, although the others in the series remain above 4 stars.

My question for you is, “Can the controversy surrounding this first book be turned into some sort of advantage, or should it be ignored?”

Own your passion! Respect your gifts!

October 17, 2015October 16, 2015 ~ Jonna Hawker Turek ~ 1 Comment

I have a dear friend and former co-worker whose experience can be an inspiration to us all. My friend, I’ll call her Michelle, joined the Department on a short-term contract to help out in technology. She did the work with such competence and flair that she was hired full-time as head of the education technology department. Michelle’s unique vision and passion for education soon led her to become CEO of her own educational consulting company and she is now one of the faces of the Maker movement for rural education.

Interestingly, along Michelle’s journey, she was frequently the object of resentment from coworkers and others. They tried to discourage her from implementing her dreams and seemed angry when those dreams became reality. Dreams, they seemed to say, are not to be taken seriously.

Independent authors face this same attitude.

One member of an author’s Facebook support group posted this today: “What books have you written?” People ask this question when I introduce myself as a writer. This question has always been terrifying for me. If I give them the titles of my books or tell them where my writing can be found, they may read and find out…I’m not very good. This lack of trust in myself once kept me from publishing my work.

Why are so may of us afraid to trust our vision and gifts? Just having a dream is an accomplishment, putting it into action is an act of bravery and should be admired.

While we never want to be accused of taking ourselves too seriously, we should be proud of taking our passions very seriously, indeed.

We may not all become CEO of our own successful company, or see our work on the best seller lists, but if we have followed our vision and stepped out to bravely use our gifts and passion to turn that vision into something concrete, we should not be embarrassed, ashamed or afraid of criticism.

The images on this page represent the fruits of my passion to write, they are books I’ve written and published for all to see.

Writers, creators and dreamers of all kinds, I urge you: respect your gifts and own your passion.

Interview with fellow author, Karoline Barrett

October 9, 2015October 8, 2015 ~ Jonna Hawker Turek ~ Leave a comment

One of the things I like best about being a published author is the wonderful people I meet. This includes both readers and fellow authors.

Another of my favorite things is introducing my new friends to my old friends. So, today, old friends, I want you to meet Karoline Barrett, author of The Art of Being Rebekkah, and future releases in her Bread & Batter Mysteries series, Bun for your Life, coming November 2015 from Berkley Books/Intermix, and Raisin the Dead.

Karoline has lived in a variety of locations, but she and her husband are currently living in a small Connecticut town. She likes spending time by the water, traveling, indulging in social media, attending New York Yankees games, or anything not involving math.

Welcome to my blog, Karoline. I’d like to ask you a few questions, so we can get to know you better, if you don’t mind.

Karoline – Thanks so much for having me on your blog, Jonna! These are always so much fun to do. Ask away.

My blog is read by writers as well as their fans. I know many of them would love to learn the process you went through to find your agent. – Once I finished my first book, The Art of Being Rebekkah, I researched agents, made a list, and began querying. I had requests for partials and fulls, but no takers. I found my agent, Fran Black of Literary Counsel, while I was browsing Twitter one day; I’d followed another one of her authors. I queried her and the rest is history, as the saying goes.
Cozy readers love puns in book titles. The name of your series is perfect for an almost limitless number of cute food and baking plays-on-words for titles of the books in the series. How did you come up with this clever series title? – I love the name of the series, and the titles, too, but unfortunately, cannot take credit. My publisher, Penguin/Intermix came up with both of them!
What made you decide to offer both of your first two books in the Bread & Batter series for pre-order at the same time? – That was my publisher as well! The second book in the series, Raisin The Dead, will be out April 2016, so they probably thought it was a good idea to offer both for pre-order.
Was that a lot of work? – Not for me! 😉
Your first book, The Art of Being Rebekkah, is women’s fiction. Is writing a mystery different? – For me it was different, yes.
In what ways? In my Rebekkah book, there was a little intrigue and suspense, but it was primarily a story about a woman’s journey in discovering who she is. It was more character driven than plot driven. My mysteries have to have a…well, mystery. They’re humorous and have lots of twists to keep readers guessing.
While writing your books, who is your target reader? – Anyone who loves interesting characters, a good mystery, and an interesting plot with lots of twists. Oh, and a very handsome detective!
How do reader reviews influence your writing? – With my Rebekkah book, I got all positive reviews. I’m hoping my Bread and Batter series will as well. No author likes unfavorable reviews, but with those I’d realize everyone is entitled to their opinion and I’d keep striving to be the best storyteller I can be!

Thanks, so much, for sharing with us today, Karoline. I can’t wait to start reading your new series. I’m sure a lot of us will pre-order today.

To learn more about Karoline and her books go to her website.

Be sure to come back to this blog every month for our Second Saturday Interviews to meet current authors and discover great new books.

November 14th we will visit with Maureen K. Howard, the writing team creators of the Lake Erie Mysteries series, featuring their well-reviewed first novel, Sunny Side Up.

Monthly Author Interviews Coming to The Works of J.B.Hawker

October 3, 2015October 3, 2015 ~ Jonna Hawker Turek ~ 2 Comments

Since beginning my writing career, I’ve been amazed by the generosity of my fellow authors. Rather than a competition, the writing community is more of a support group.

With that in mind, I would like to do my part to provide encouragement and support with a series of monthly author interviews.

My first author interview will be posted October 10 with the delightful Karoline Barrett, author of the Art of Being Rebekkah and the soon to be released Bun for Your Life, the first book in her new Bread & Batter mystery series.

There is always room for another entertaining book on the shelf, and another great author to follow.

Drop by next Saturday, October 10, to get to know Karoline. She’s sure to become one of your next favorites.

October means Halloween. Halloween means “Hollow” promotions

September 27, 2015September 27, 2015 ~ Jonna Hawker Turek ~ Leave a comment

Hollow is free in digital format all month long in October. I have scheduled promotions on a variety of ebook sites/newsletters being sent to readers during the month.
Is featuring Hollow from October 2 – 8, and you may see it featured on other sites throughout the month.

If you have read and enjoyed Hollow, but haven’t had time to post a review (Amazon, Goodreads, Kobo, or B&N), I would love it, if you would post one today.

Many of the promotion sites require a certain number of reviews or a certain star ranking to include a book, so every single good review helps.

Thank you, again, for all your support and encouragement.

Progress Report on “A Body in the Belfry”

September 19, 2015 ~ Jonna Hawker Turek ~ Leave a comment

Just a short post, since we are all still tired from this week’s Back-to-School Book & Blog Block Party and the big Facebook Mystery Writers Revealed event last weekend. I had a blast at both celebrations and hope you did, too.

In spite of all the partying, lately, I’ve managed to finish the “Body” manuscript and get it into the hands of my proof-readers/editors. Did you hear my huge sigh of relief?

When the manuscript comes back, I’ll get busy with the revisions, but we are on track for December publication, so I am now able to shift gears and begin to outline the next First Ladies Club installment.

Now, my question to you, dear reader, is: Which of the First Ladies would you like to be the star of this one? Judy Falls has been after me to write about her and her precocious twin daughters, but before I let her wear me down, I want to hear from you.

Should the next book center on Judy, Elizabeth, Eskaletha, Olivette, Gwennie or Peggy? Or maybe a newcomer to Bannoch? Here’s your chance to tell me what you think. Just enter a comment below to become a contributor to my future book.

Thank you!