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Thursday, August 26, 2010

Are we having fun yet?


A number of things have happened to me recently that just re-emphasizes the fact that a writer cannot quit writing no matter how hard they try. No, I didn't try to quit, but I did go absolutely silent for the summer.

First off, let me say that free books are such a joy! I love 'em and recently one of my online friends hooked me up with this one


Needless to say, I was thrilled. And reading is what spurs me to the writing desk, so this was the very first nudge.

Then, another writing friend, MB4's fabulous-noir-lady-about-town Marta Stephens began writing a new book and shared it with me and it just tickled my writing bone all summer long.

Most recently, my good friend, Stephen Zimmer invited me to be a panelist at next year's FandomFest: Outgrowth of Fright Night Film Fest in Louisville KY, and at Duckon, in Chicago IL next June.

A PANELIST??? omg. I am too honored and thrilled and heck yes, now seriously involved with getting back into the writing seat. So... here we go again. This post is my official reunion post as I rejoin the writing world.

PS-I am also LEAVING the radio world. If you are a fan of the show, I am so sorry because you are the reason I did it for nearly two years. But to be honest, my writing must take precedence over all now, and the show is a major time constraint.

Cheers to you, fabulous fan, and here's to a great year ahead!

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Emailer Services: Are they worth it?

 This old school bus lives in a field up the street - I couldn't help but take a photo of it since it matches one of my scenes in Healey Cave. Funny this is, I wrote the book years before I found this!

I've built a long email list of loyal fans over the years. When I tried to send out email blasts (usually quarterly for my newsletter), I found it exhausting. Yahoo only let me mail one hundred per hour, so it took all day to get 900 emails out. 

Not only that, but I hated the way it looked. All text, no pictures... just -- yawn -- so boring! 

So, with the help of another author friend (thanks, Keith!), I learned about services you could sign up for where you can use templates or create your own nice looking emails with photos. They work pretty much like website templates, where you insert photos, links, change fonts, etc. as you wish.

I decided to sign up with  iContact.com, which cost me a couple of hundred dollars last year when I first subscribed, but this year's renewal was cheaper. I signed up for 500 contacts, but you can sign up for less (100) and then simply forward the email to your other contacts after you receive it in your own mailbox. That sort of defeated the purpose for me, so I stuck with the 500. I had to cull my email list pretty hard, and hope I didn't get rid of someone I shouldn't have. As the list grows, I'll have to figure out which way to go from here. But that's a problem for another day.

The question is, how many books do you sell from such a blast? Profit per book ranges from about two bucks (through Amazon, B&N, etc.) to ten bucks, depending on my re-sale price. It takes a lot of books to make up for the cost of the mailer program. Never mind all the other ads and investments.

So, why do it?

It's called investing in the future. The more the platform grows, the more books sell eventually, the quicker I can retire to just ... writing. At least that's the plan. ;o)

If you'd like to see the content of the email blast - check it out, here.



Wednesday, August 18, 2010

What Will Future Generations of Readers Relate To?

© Marta Stephens 2010 all rights reserved

I’ve worked at a state university for 31 years and, as you might imagine, I’ve watched thousands of students parade through campus, including our own, in that time. Since this is moving-in week here at BSU, I was reminded to look up the Beloit College Mindset list and check out this year’s freshmen outlook on things. If you’re not familiar with the BCM list, it’s been released each August since 1998, by Beloit College and provides a look at the cultural touchstones that shape the lives of students entering college each fall. The list is the creation of Beloit’s Keefer Professor of the Humanities Tom McBride and former Public Affairs Director Ron Nief and was originally created as a reminder to faculty to be aware of dated references, and quickly became a catalog of the rapidly changing worldview of each new generation. You’ll find more information about this at http://www.beloit.edu/mindset.


Aside from being a poignant reminder that I’m getting older by the minute, I find this annual list to be a good thing to keep in mind as the next book gets churned out for future generations of readers.  What will this group of 17-year olds relate to down the road?

Here goes:

The Beloit College Mindset List for the Class of 2014

Most students entering college for the first time this fall—the Class of 2014—were born in 1992. For these students, Benny Hill, Sam Kinison, Sam Walton, Burt Parks and Tony Perkins have always been dead.

1. Few in the class know how to write in cursive.

2. Email is just too slow, and they seldom if ever use snail mail.

3. “Go West, Young College Grad” has always implied “and don’t stop until you get to Asia…and learn Chinese along the way.”

4. Al Gore has always been animated.

5. Los Angelinos have always been trying to get along.

6. Buffy has always been meeting her obligations to hunt down Lothos and the other blood-suckers at Hemery High.

7. “Caramel macchiato” and “venti half-caf vanilla latte” have always been street corner lingo.

8. With increasing numbers of ramps, Braille signs, and handicapped parking spaces, the world has always been trying harder to accommodate people with disabilities.

9. Had it remained operational, the villainous computer HAL could be their college classmate this fall, but they have a better chance of running into Miley Cyrus’s folks on Parents’ Weekend.

10. A quarter of the class has at least one immigrant parent, and the immigration debate is not a big priority…unless it involves “real” aliens from another planet.

11. John McEnroe has never played professional tennis.

12. Clint Eastwood is better known as a sensitive director than as Dirty Harry.

13. Parents and teachers feared that Beavis and Butt-head might be the voice of a lost generation.

14. Doctor Kevorkian has never been licensed to practice medicine.

15. Colorful lapel ribbons have always been worn to indicate support for a cause.

16. Korean cars have always been a staple on American highways.

17. Trading Chocolate the Moose for Patti the Platypus helped build their Beanie Baby collection.

18. Fergie is a pop singer, not a princess.

19. They never twisted the coiled handset wire aimlessly around their wrists while chatting on the phone.

20. DNA fingerprinting and maps of the human genome have always existed.

21. Woody Allen, whose heart has wanted what it wanted, has always been with Soon-Yi Previn.

22. Cross-burning has always been deemed protected speech.

23. Leasing has always allowed the folks to upgrade their tastes in cars.

24. “Cop Killer” by rapper Ice-T has never been available on a recording.

25. Leno and Letterman have always been trading insults on opposing networks.

26. Unless they found one in their grandparents’ closet, they have never seen a carousel of Kodachrome slides.

27. Computers have never lacked a CD-ROM disk drive.

28. They’ve never recognized that pointing to their wrists was a request for the time of day.

29. Reggie Jackson has always been enshrined in Cooperstown.

30. “Viewer Discretion” has always been an available warning on TV shows.

31. The first computer they probably touched was an Apple II; it is now in a museum.

32. Czechoslovakia has never existed.

33. Second-hand smoke has always been an official carcinogen.

34. “Assisted Living” has always been replacing nursing homes, while Hospice has always been an alternative to hospitals.

35. Once they got through security, going to the airport has always resembled going to the mall.

36. Adhesive strips have always been available in varying skin tones.

37. Whatever their parents may have thought about the year they were born, Queen Elizabeth declared it an “Annus Horribilis.”

38. Bud Selig has always been the Commissioner of Major League Baseball.

39. Pizza jockeys from Domino’s have never killed themselves to get your pizza there in under 30 minutes.

40. There have always been HIV positive athletes in the Olympics.

41. American companies have always done business in Vietnam.

42. Potato has always ended in an “e” in New Jersey per vice presidential edict.

43. Russians and Americans have always been living together in space.

44. The dominance of television news by the three networks passed while they were still in their cribs.

45. They have always had a chance to do community service with local and federal programs to earn money for college.

46. Nirvana is on the classic oldies station.

47. Children have always been trying to divorce their parents.

48. Someone has always gotten married in space.

49. While they were babbling in strollers, there was already a female Poet Laureate of the United States.

50. Toothpaste tubes have always stood up on their caps.

51. Food has always been irradiated.

52. There have always been women priests in the Anglican Church.

53. J.R. Ewing has always been dead and gone. Hasn’t he?

54. The historic bridge at Mostar in Bosnia has always been a copy.

55. Rock bands have always played at presidential inaugural parties.

56. They may have assumed that parents’ complaints about Black Monday had to do with punk rockers from L.A., not Wall Street.

57. A purple dinosaur has always supplanted Barney Google and Barney Fife.

58. Beethoven has always been a dog.

59. By the time their folks might have noticed Coca Cola’s new Tab Clear, it was gone.

60. Walmart has never sold handguns over the counter in the lower 48.

61. Presidential appointees have always been required to be more precise about paying their nannies’ withholding tax, or else.

62. Having hundreds of cable channels but nothing to watch has always been routine.

63. Their parents’ favorite TV sitcoms have always been showing up as movies.

64. The U.S, Canada, and Mexico have always agreed to trade freely.

65. They first met Michelangelo when he was just a computer virus.

66. Galileo is forgiven and welcome back into the Roman Catholic Church.

67. Ruth Bader Ginsburg has always sat on the Supreme Court.

68. They have never worried about a Russian missile strike on the U.S.

69. The Post Office has always been going broke.

70. The artist formerly known as Snoop Doggy Dogg has always been rapping.

71. The nation has never approved of the job Congress is doing.

72. One way or another, “It’s the economy, stupid” and always has been.

73. Silicone-gel breast implants have always been regulated.

74. They’ve always been able to blast off with the Sci-Fi Channel.

75. Honda has always been a major competitor on Memorial Day at Indianapolis.

… and a few others I believe were from last year’s class:

1. They are too young to remember the space shuttle blowing up.

2. Their lifetime has always included AIDS.

3. The CD was introduced two years before they were born.

4. They have always had an answering machine.

5. They have always had cable.

6. Popcorn has always been microwaved.

7. They never took a swim and thought about Jaws.

8. They don't know who Mork was or where he was from.

9. They never heard, "Where's the Beef?", "I'd walk a mile for a Camel ," or "deplane, Boss, de plane."

10. They don't have a clue how to use a typewriter.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

I Aten't Ded

Today's post title is brought to you by Terry Pratchett, through the immortal words of Granny Weatherwax, the awesomest witch in literature. If you don't know who Granny Weatherwax is, or (gasp!) have never heard of Terry Pratchett, GO AND READ WYRD SISTERS RIGHT NOW!

Here's one of the opening bits of Wyrd Sisters, which should totally compel you to read it:

Witches are not by nature gregarious, at least with other witches, and they certainly don't have leaders... Granny Weatherwax was the most highly-regarded of the leaders they didn't have.

Anyway! The main purpose of this post is to tell you that even though it looks to be the case, I haven't in fact dropped off the face of the earth. I just haven't had much to say lately. I'm sure I'll be spouting all sorts of things once summer is over.

In the meantime, here's a beautiful, beautiful song for you to listen to. I don't even know what language they're singing half of it in, but I love it anyway. I think you will, too.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Sam Moore Speaks

I'm wondering if every author needs to take acting lessons. Especially if they want to record their works in audio formats. 

Readers like hearing the author read. Right? They know that only the author really understands the nuances of each sentence, the way it was supposed to be said aloud. I do believe this, and wish I could download books read by Dean Koontz himself, or that John D. MacDonald could come down from Heaven for a while to record his Travis MacGee series for us. Wouldn't that be cool? 

When you're reading from your own character's point of view, you really have to get inside his head. You have to feel his pain, suffer his humiliations, and share in his joy. 

Could you do that? If so, it's a good sign that you really know your characters.

And what do you do if your character is of the opposite sex? I guess unless you're a woman with a very deep voice, or a man who does a reasonable falsetto, you've got to find someone who fits that mold, a friend who can sound like your character and really get inside his or her brain. 

Would you like to get to know a character, even before you read his book?

Well, I never took acting lessons, but I sat in the back of the auditorium while my daughter performed in fifteen musicals and plays. Maybe a little of the training rubbed off on me. I don't know. 

Regardless, I figured it was a good idea to help create a little buzz for my upcoming book by writing a letter from Sam Moore to his future readers. Would you like to hear it? See what you think and please let me know, below. 

Sam Moore's most intimate and tortured thoughts are in this video. It's not really a normal video, but the only way to get audio on YouTube or other sites is to put a jpeg image behind it and save it as a movie file. ;o) Took me all day to figure that out - shows you how bright I am. And I didn't want to make it into a book trailer, for Heaven's sake. I already have one of those!


Sam Moore is a retired country doctor in the new paranormal mystery series, Moore Mysteries. The first book comes out soon, (August 28th), and you can pre-order it here if you're so inclined to save a good chunk of change!





Here's a look at the synopsis:

http://media-files.gather.com/images/d523/d486/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

Sam Moore's little brother vanished fifty years ago. No body. No answers. What Sam has is a boatload of guilt, since he failed to accompany Billy on his final, fateful bike ride.

While digging in his garden, Sam discovers a green marble with a startling secret—it whisks him back to his childhood, connecting him to Billy. Thrust back and forth through time, Sam struggles to unlock the secret of his brother’s fate.

When the FBI investigates remains found nearby, Sam learns of a serial killer with a grisly fifty-year record. Sam’s certain it’s Billy’s killer. But what’s worse, his grandson fits the profile of the murdered boys. Will the killer return to Sam’s town to claim his final kill? Can Sam untangle the truth in time to save him?

http://media-files.gather.com/images/d522/d486/d746/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg


Aaron Paul Lazar writes to soothe his soul. The author of LeGarde Mysteries and Moore Mysteries enjoys the Genesee Valley countryside in upstate New York, where his characters embrace life, play with their dogs and grandkids, grow sumptuous gardens, and chase bad guys. For free excerpts, articles, beautiful photos, and recordings of the author reading aloud, visit his websites at www.legardemysteries.com and www.mooremysteries.com and join him on his collaborative blog: www.murderby4.blogspot.com.


Sunday, August 8, 2010

Promoting Your Book: the hard part

copyright 2010 aaron paul lazar

I've been lax in the past few years about promoting my newest books. I haven't always done a virtual book tour, I haven't always advertised. And I've let life get in the way off and on. Like when I lost my job last year - that really messed up the focus I would have had to promote Mazurka.

But this year I'm trying to do it "right". (If there is such a thing!) I've redesigned the website that features my debut new paranormal mystery series, MooreMysteries.com. I've hired a very talented friend to make a book trailer for me, I'm seeking out new review sites, and have scheduled my virtual book tour for a few weeks after the book will be officially released. I plan to record myself reading my first chapters, record and publish a letter from my new protagonist to readers, and I'm reading to a crowd at big convention in Rochester this fall. Not bad for a guy who's once again working full time, still trying to keep up with massive gardens, babysitting whenever possible for the grandkids, and cooking family feasts all summer. Ha! I'm tiring myself out just talking about it.

I'm also trying to decide which ads make sense. I hope to look into getting my new trailer featured on YouTube, Gather.com, and more. I've twittered it and Facebooked it a lot. I'm going to get word out to my fans and readers through iContact, and hope to blog like crazy all over about it.

I feel like I'm doing the right things, but man, do I miss my creative writing. I left poor Callie kidnapped and in terrible danger by a nasty old drug company in the Adirondack woods in my second Tall Pines mystery about three weeks ago. Oh, I forgot to mention, I'm also writing a third mystery series. LOL.

Anyway, Healey's Cave is my first paranormal mystery, the debut novel in the Moore Mysteries series, also known as the "green marble mysteries." The official release date is August 28th, 2010, but you can preorder it here for a 32% discount, a very nice bargain! I thought I'd share the trailer with you, and also would love feedback on the new website.

And if you want to know who created this gorgeous trailer, email me at aaron.lazar@yahoo.com. I'll spill my secret. And you'll get a hell of a deal if she takes you on. ;o)

I've tried for many hours to get the video to load here, but it's not working. So here's the YouTube link. ;o)

  Healey's Cave Trailer


Let me know what you think!

Have a great week,

- Aaron








Thursday, August 5, 2010

My Essay on How I Spent My Summer


Remember when the teacher was at a loss as to what to teach the first day of school so she told you to write an essay on how you spent your summer? That's what I am doing, writing my thoughts of this hot hot summer and where and how I spent my days.

I seriously cannot remember when it was worse for heat in this region. The media always makes it seem worse than it is, but maybe this year that was a good thing. Their insistence on keeping us up on excessive heat advisories has probably saved lives.

I really have spent most of my time inside, behind a computer, learning new software and educating myself on marketing. This will definitely become helpful with future books I am planning on writing.

As for writing, I have done very little, but the plotting and planning of said books has never stopped. I am really looking forward to getting back into the writing seat soon, probably after Labor Day.

There are so many books and stories to be written still, and so little time to get them all down. If I have learned one thing this long hot summer, it has been to make optimum use of my time. This will certainly benefit me as I get back into the swing of my life soon.

I do not garden, but this year after visiting Farmer's Markets and such, really did think about it. Maybe next year!

I have done NO yardwork this year at all. In fact, my poor hubby has barely kept the grass cut. This lapse in outside activity has a lot to do with these 101+ heat indexes but a little to do with our business and how busy it has been. We have a fellow coming this week to quote us on getting all the overgrowth cut back and here's hoping he can save us.

Other than that, my dears, there is little to report. I think this has really been a summer of retrospection and reflection on a really difficult winter. But as in all things, a new time is approaching.

I am stretching forward and hope to touch the cooler months ahead with renewed vigor. Hoping the very same for you!

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Missed me?

Oh, I’ve been around, keeping busy—after all, you know what they say about idle hands and the Devil’s playground. He'll have to catch me first.

It’s been a strange several weeks for me. After writing non-stop for the past 7-8 years, maintaining 3-4 blogs and posting on countless social sites and forums, I decided after I finished my sixth novel (only two have been published, but I'm trying to rectify that) my head needs a bit of a break. In many ways it’s been great to not think about the next chapter or edit. I've been guiltless about missing a post or two or three or four and for the most part, I've finally allowed myself to enjoy my summer and life has been good.

Having said this, I’d never use the words “good time” in the same sentence with the words, “synopsis and query letter.”

As some of you know, I spent the past several weeks/months looking at a blank screen before moving beyond the “I’m thinking about … I need to write …” phase, but now their done. I started submitting to agents on July 16. Most have a 4-6 week response rate so although I’m going to be really, really positive about this, I don’t expect to get any word, good or bad, until mid-to late August. My hopes aren't entirely up nor dashed. I find that things go better for me when I don't dwell or panic over issues like this. Let's face it, all I can do is my best and see where that lands me.

To be honest though, I’ve concluded that it’s strictly a numbers game. The more I mail, the better my odds of finding a good match. Yes, yes, I know the query letter has to hook them into reading the synopsis and then hopefully the manuscript, but honestly there are so many variables most of which are completely out of my control. For example ... what mood will the agent be in when he picks up my query? Did he receive great news as he walked into his office, or is this the morning his mother-in-law is moving in? Is the agent trying to quit smoking or did she get on the scales this morning to discover she lost those ten pesky pounds? See what I mean? No control! I’ve keep reminding myself that what one agent turns down, may be exactly what will strike then next agent’s fancy and so … I’ll keep subbing.

With respect to the task of writing these hellish things, at least most of the references I’ve searched through agree on what the synopsis should include—identify the main characters, highlight of each key turning point of the novel, and spell out the ending. Still, a million questions raced through my mind: have I written enough? Am I cramming too much onto the page? Do they really think I can reduce this novel to a two-page summary? Will the hook pull them in? Crap, is there a hook? Eeek gads!!!

If the synopsis isn't hard enough to write, the how-to on writing the perfect query letter is really anyone’s guess. I say this not because there isn’t a template to follow, but because one really, and I do mean really, has to study each agent’s site and understand what he or she is looking for. If you’re lucky, the agent will offer samples of what he or she considers to be a “stellar letter.” I found a few of them, and in the process, I also discovered that while most asked for the author’s credentials and personal information in the final paragraph, others wanted to read that sort of thing up front with only a line or two about the story at the end.

Some agents want to read about how much the author knows about him or her (translation: researched them and their firm), there are others who claim they don’t care how the author found them, they just want to read the bit about the story and understand why he or she should request the manuscript.

For authors who like challenges though, there's always the various submission guidelines. Just try to keep them straight in your mind. Do they prefer snail mail or e-mail? Believe it or not, one agent has an online submission form. Do they want the query letter and the synopsis, or the query and first five pages of the manuscript, or was that the first five chapters? No wait, this one only wants the first 1,000 words and how about the agent who only wanted a letter indicating she would base a decision on it alone.

It’s crazy. It's also taken well over a month to develop an initial list of agents, customize the letters, and write the “perfect” synopsis. In the meantime, life has continued to throw out the occasional one-two punch.

For the time being, I decided to push all of this out my head while I wait. I spent this past weekend cleaning out my home office. After all, I'll need a clean desk on the day when I get the “please send” right? I filled two trash bags full of pages I'd printed but hadn't read, used or referred to in years as well as hundreds of pages of old edits. I tore them into several pieces just in case the enterprising vagrant who rummages through the trash at night finds my manuscripts, steals my idea, and turns it into a New York best seller. More power to him, if that’s the case.

Anyway, prayers and good wishes are gladly accepted!

For those interested in following my journey, please visit my Prose and Musing blog at http://mstephens-musings.blogspot.com/.  These days I don’t apologize for posting similar articles on these two blogs. My creativity only goes so far at the moment. ;) But, hey, here's a positive thought.

"Life's too uncertain, eat your dessert first"


About the author:
Marta Stephens writes crime mystery/suspense. Her books are available online at familiar shops such as all the Amazons, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Books-a-Million, and Powells. Other locations include, but are not limited to those listed on her website.


THE DEVIL CAN WAIT (2008), Bronze Medal Finalist, 2009 IPPY Awards, Top Ten, 2008 Preditors and Editors Reader Poll (mystery).
SILENCED CRY (2007) Honorable Mention, 2008 New York Book Festival, Top Ten, 2007 Preditors and Editors Reader Poll (mystery),
Personal site: http://www.martastephens-author.com/Personal blog: http://mstephens-musings.blogspot.com/ Collective blog: http://murderby4.blogspot.com/ Blog: http://novelworks2.blogspot.com/  Character Blog: http://www.samharpercrimescene.blogspot.com/  

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Mask of the Serpent - another great House Phoenix series novel by S.W. Vaughn



Our dear and prolific S.W. Vaughn has done it again. Mask of the Serpent - the newest in the House Phoenix series - has just become available at Lyrical Press. For those of you who love to be simultaneously shocked and entertained, who love to shiver at the thought of such nastiness, who don't care about sleeping... you'll love this series. You'll likely fall for Angel, S.W.'s protagonist, and stay awake at night to find out how he survives each book. 

But let me warn you about Jenner. He bites.

Well, okay, so he doesn't bite. But he sure as heck will invade your dreams and scare the hell out of you. I love the last line of the release, below. "Contains violence, nasty language, and torture." Yep. That's our girl.

Here's to a writer who pops out so many high quality books in a year that we're all wondering how she does it. Kudos, Sonya!


- Aaron Lazar




MASK OF THE SERPENT by S.W. Vaughn

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Digital ISBN: 978-1-61650-177-8
Length: Novel
Price: $5.50

No matter who loses, the bad guy wins

Drug lord and self-professed saint Diego Mendez is a man of his word. He's watched two of his lieutenants die, thanks to Angel and House Phoenix. Unfortunately, he's promised a certain crooked cop that he won't seek revenge unless Phoenix hits him first. When Angel makes a run on his turf, Mendez decides it's enough of a loophole to act. He kidnaps Angel's lieutenant, Jenner, intent on breaking him—and killing him.

But Jenner is just as nasty and mean as Mendez, and breaking him is no easy task. His secret past has conditioned him for survival at any price. And Mendez has a secret of his own—his son is dying, and he's been reduced to watching helplessly while it happens. One of them will triumph, one will fall. But in this game, no matter what happens...the bad guy wins.

Contains violence, nasty language, and torture.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Writing a Free eBook: Is it a Good Investment of Your Time?

When my publisher approached me about doing a free eBook, at first I balked. I was happily ensconced in my latest book, and wallowed in the creative rush every day. That particular aspect of being an author is by far my favorite. I'm swept away in my parallel universe and was happily hunting down bad guys in the Adirondack Mountains when the request came in.
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What? A free eBook? I'd heard about them and had actually downloaded a number of them before, but hadn't really thought it would be in my future. 
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I was wrong.
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Three authors from Twilight Times Books collaborated on this effort, which became an amalgam of first chapters and short stories. Anne K. Edwards, author of many mysteries and children's books, and Mayra Calvani, a multi-genre author, were my cohorts in this project. Anne agreed to pull together the first version of the book, and I took it over after that to design a cover, insert cover art and author photo graphics, and to add links for purchases and other resources. 
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When we finished, our publisher did her magic on it to turn it into a 1Meg pdf file. After that, we were on our own. But one of the incredible side effects that I hadn't even considered was the exploding ability for us to use THREE major networks to promote our work together. The symbiotic nature of this effort is huge. Each of us are veteran networkers and promoters. Each has massive lists of readers and fans. And with all three of us promoting at the same time, our book reached three times as many potential readers. 

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Of course we're doing this to sell books. But the cool part is, we're also giving away something of value. All of the short stories offered within are fun and free. And that's a good thing!

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We named our little book Literary Sampler: a potpourri of stories and first chapters, and you can download it by clicking on the link, the photo below, or going to www.legardemysteries.com/freestuff.htm. 
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We'd love to hear back from our readers. Did you enjoy the stories? Did the first chapters or excerpts entice you? Did you like our cover art? Please email aaron.lazar@yahoo.com with comments and I'll forward your words to Anne and Mayra, as well. On parting, remember to take pleasure in the little things, and write like the wind!
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DOUBLE FORTE' (2004)
UPSTAGED (2005)
TREMOLO: CRY OF THE LOON (2007)
MAZURKA (2009)
FIRESONG (2010)  
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HEALEY'S CAVE (2010)
ONE POTATO, BLUE POTATO (2011)
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Preditors&Editors Top 10 Finalist  *   Yolanda Renee's Top Ten Books 2008   *  MYSHELF Top Ten Reads 2008  * Writers' Digest Top 101 Website Award 2009 & 2010
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www.legardemysteries.com
www.mooremysteries.com
www.murderby4.blogspot.com
www.aaronlazar.blogspot.coma
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- Aaron Paul Lazar
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