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Spiked Punch (Maddie Sparks Mystery Series) by Lesley A Diehl #Review / #Giveaway - Great Escapes Book Tour

Spiked Punch (Maddie Sparks Mystery Series) by Lesley A Diehl

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#CamelPress #cozymystery #LesleyA.Diehl #NewYork

My Reading Itinerary Monday! – Week #46 – 2023 - Announcement

Welcome to My Reading Itinerary Monday!

Announcement

Last Friday I received a frustrating email from Amazon. They informed all their Amazon Associates that two features, one of which I use in almost every post, in the sidebars, and on several pages will no longer be available as of December 1. Truthfully they have already been removed. The features are “Image” and “Text+Image”. I use the "Image" feature the most but do use the "Text+Image" feature occasionally. What this means is that 2 features that have I used on my blog since 2009 will stop working on December 31 and in their place, a broken image symbol will appear. This also will render all my Book Recommendations Pages along with all of the Literary Escapes by State Pages useless as they will just be filled with broken link images. Also affected will be posts like this one where I use the cover image provided by Amazon and Review posts where I share covers images of all of the author's book so that you just have to click on them to purchase. Amazon is replacing these features with something designed for developers who want to build an e-commerce storefront that sells items listed on Amazon.com, or an application that helps others build e-commerce storefronts. That isn't me and requires programming knowledge I do not have. I am just an old lady doing my best to help authors promote their books and you find books and book deals to feed your reading habit. I am small potatoes to Amazon and this is probably a way to weed me and others like me from their Associate Program. I have reached out to Amazon but the reply I received was just a reiteration of the email I received. I am going to have to be creative moving forward making use of the basic covers in some places and adding links to them manually, like in the post below, and making my own graphics with links to the author's pages to show you all the books in a series. In some places, I may have to use just text. I have to give more thought as to how I will share book recommendations by release date and books by the state they take place in. I know I can't recreate 14 years of blog posts and pages by December 31 so I will apologize now if you see broken links on posts made prior to today. I thank you for your understanding of a situation that is out of my hands. I want this site to be a happy place full of Book Reviews, Book Recommendations, Book Tours, Giveaways, Random Thoughts here and there, and what is happening in my life. So many of you have stuck with me through so much over the years and I am not going to let a stupid decision by one company take this away from me. I am going to figure this out. Thank you for your continued viewing. If you see something glaring I may have missed, please fill out a contact form and let me know. Now Where are your books taking you this week? I will be traveling to New York and Maryland! Here’s what I read and what I have planned for this week. Escapes Completed

A Seaside Bookshop Christmas: A Single Dad, Friends to Lovers Small Town Romance (The Turner Family of Bluestar Island) by Jennifer Faye Release Date - November 3, 2023 Setting - Island Off Massachusetts The Great Escapes Tour stops here tomorrow!

Stalking Around the Christmas Tree (A Christmas Tree Farm Mystery) by Jacqueline Frost Release Date - October 17, 2023 Setting - Maine I will feature this book on Cozy Wednesday this week!

A CATastrophic Neighborhood (A Pet Momma Cozy Mystery) by Maryann Shanesy Release Date - March 27, 2023 Setting - The small town of Starport Cove and a suburb of the town called Bluffington Hills. The Great Escapes Tour stops here this Thursday!

Intrigue in Istanbul (A Jane Wunderly Mystery) by Erica Ruth Neubauer Release Date - March 28, 2023 Setting - Turkey My #FlashbackFriday Read!

Scheduled Escapes

Spiked Punch (Maddie Sparks Mystery Series) by Lesley A Diehl Release Date - November 14, 2023 Setting - New York The Great Escapes Tour stops here next Tuesday!

Grounds for Murder (Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries) by Lena Gregory Release Date - November 21, 2023 Setting - New York The Great Escapes Tour stops here next week for Cozy Wednesday!

Madam X by Niobia Bryant Release Date - April 25, 2023 Setting - New York I am reading this book strictly for my Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge. I am unsure if I will be posting a review.

Crime and Parchment: A Rare Books Cozy Mystery by Daphne Silver Release Date - November 21, 2023 Setting - Maryland The Great Escapes Tour stops here next Friday.

Future Escapes This is one feature that may take a hiatus until I figure out a new way to compile this information. November 12 - 18, 2023

Click Here to check out my Current Giveaways! Please Share Your Reading Itinerary in the Comments below! Happy Reading!!

Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent Read the full article

#‎GemmaHallidayPublishing #CamelPress #CrookedLaneBooks #Dafina #Kensington #LazyDazyPress #LevelBestBooks #selfpublished

Fireworks on the Fourth (A Musical Murder Mystery) by B J Bowen #GuestPost / #Giveaway

Fireworks on the Fourth (A Musical Murder Mystery)

I am happy to welcome Baraba to Escape With Dollycas today! Many Musings, Mostly Musical: The Rocky Road to Publication by B.J. Bowen

Much like rocky road ice cream, my journey to publication had many lumps, and the occasional unexpected treat. It required, for me, over twenty-five years, two writing groups, and an encouraging family to get me to the finish line. I played with the Symphony when I started the first book. Looking for an activity to occupy my open hours, something completely different, I saw an advertisement in the window of a used bookstore; “NEW WRITING GROUP FORMING; At least five pages per week required. Inquire within.” I’d always loved cozy mysteries and decided on the spot to write one. “They” say to write what you know, so I decided the setting would be the orchestra. I discovered writing is, for me, one of those activities in which I lose track of time. The writing group provided a whole new circle of friends. And they knew nothing about classical music. I was forced to explain terms and concepts I assumed people knew. They also taught me a lot about writing—to make a scene flow smoothly, to listen to the words I’ve used, and to see the necessity of eliminating little words that stop the action. I can’t say I learned those lessons flawlessly, but at least the group called my attention to those mechanics. Our meetings were the highlight of my week. By the time the bookstore closed five years later in 1999, I had a 27,000 word manuscript. I started peddling it. No go. Twenty-five query letters, twenty-five rejections. No explanation, only “We regret to inform you that your manuscript does not meet our needs at this time.” Sigh. I abandoned the manuscript and went on with life. Then, in 2011 my 89-year-old mother was diagnosed with “mild cognitive decline” (Mild? She couldn’t find her way to the grocery store, and the doctor told her she could no longer drive). I quit work to take care of her. My reasoning went something like, “I have a finished manuscript waiting. I’ll just punch it up a little, sell it, and make money off that.” During this period my daughter, having graduated from college, re-read the first chapter 16,234 times, and made approximately 18,794 suggestions. I now had a 54,000 word manuscript with characters that were better developed, a beginning that was snappier, and fleshed out action that, before, had only happened in my head. And eleven more rejections, all saying, “We regret to inform you that your manuscript does not meet our current needs.” Then I went to a writer’s conference. Facilitators were encouraging, stating that it was a good idea, but my manuscript “might be a little short.” It needed to be at least 60,000 words. At the same time, I found my second writing group. Led by a retired English teacher, it was composed of published writers with incredible talent who were kind and encouraging, had good ideas, and didn’t hesitate to share them. Once again, my week was shaped by writing group. I continued to flesh out characters, add yet another subplot, and slave over the beginning (my daughter read the first chapter and made suggestions countless more times; the group critiqued it at least 17 times). I worked the manuscript up to 67,000 words. Still no luck with sales. Then we got a new member in the writing group. She was a twenty-something and, heaven bless her, great with the internet. She found a list of 50 agents interested in “mysteries,” and one of them was very specific about being interested in “cozies with a female protagonist, 70-100,000 words long, told in first person.” Just what I had! I worked the manuscript up to 70,000 words (easy, peasy), queried her, and was accepted. A terrific editor, she revised the manuscript (“eliminate just; this doesn’t make sense; that doesn’t make sense”) and, after six more rejections, found a buyer for the manuscript, who wanted two more books. Now came more editing (too many repeated words; the protagonist is not likeable enough) and the fear that I wouldn’t have ideas for two more books. I eliminated, according to the computer, 859 “was”es. To my relief, fresh ideas came to me. In the meantime, the publisher urged, get an internet presence. I already had 84 Facebook friends. My daughter made me a gorgeous website (www.barbarabowenauthor.com) and a Facebook business page. My (real) friends were excited for me. I posted an announcement. Six responses. Sigh. I was going to have to expand my “presence.” I decided to expand to friends of friends. The first day I “expanded” until I got carpal tunnel. 357. No matter how many friends of friends you add, Facebook can come up with more possibilities. On day two 484. On day three 532. I am currently at 1,200 friends and still counting. But the Corona virus had hit. Paper shortages. Ink shortages. Personnel shortages. Delays. Patience required. My advice? First, get a good therapist. Then, make sure your manuscript is as good as it can be and fits into standard length requirements. And get familiar with the internet and internet marketing. That first book of the Musical Murders series, Music is Murder, was finally published in June, 2021. The second, Ballistics at the Ballet, was released in September 2022, and the third, Fireworks on the Fourth,was published May 9, 2023. Whew! Are you interested in writing a book? Was this blog interesting/helpful? Let us know in the comments below. Thank you for visiting today! Keep reading for more info about B.J.'s new book!

About B.J. Bowen

Barbara Bowen is a freelance writer. She was a finalist and Honorable Mention in the 2018 Focus: Eddy Awards for her article, “Letting Go with Grace,” published in Unity Magazine. Ms. Bowen is also an accomplished professional oboist who played throughout Mexico and with the Colorado Springs Symphony for nineteen years. Drawing on her quirky fellow musicians and orchestral experiences, she created the mystery series, Musical Murders. The first is Music is Murder (Release date, 6-9-21). The second is Ballistics at the Ballet (Release date 9-14-2022) The third is Fireworks on the Fourth (Release date 5-9-2023). She is a member of Sisters in Crime, lives in Colorado with two canine friends, and has a song for any occasion. Author Links Website BookBub Facebook Purchase Links - Amazon - B&N - Target TOUR PARTICIPANTS - Please visit all the stops. June 1 – Christy's Cozy Corners – AUTHOR INTERVIEW June 1 – Indie Author Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT June 1 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read - SPOTLIGHT June 2 – The Plain-Spoken Pen – REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST June 2 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT June 3 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT June 3 – Jane Reads – AUTHOR GUEST POST June 4 – The Book Decoder – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW June 4 – Sapphyria's Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT June 5 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW June 6 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT June 6 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR GUEST POST June 7 – Maureen's Musings – SPOTLIGHT June 7 – Celticlady's Reviews Blog – SPOTLIGHT June 8 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee - SPOTLIGHT a Rafflecopter giveaway Have you signed up to be a Tour Host? Click Here to Find Details and Sign Up Today!