Adventures N Writing

Getting a great review on a Monday morning is always a wonderful way to start the day! I am a happy camper this morning. The editor from Substance, Style, and Soul reviewed "Happy Hour," and Loved it! So, I have to toot my own horn here, because I really love this book, too, (it's that book I wrote from my heart like writers are always being told to do) and am excited to let you know that ZOVA books has picked it up and the new release with some changes to the original book, will be out March 15th! Here is the awesome new cover, which I love. Hope you do, too. Check out the review.    http://stylesubstancesoul.com/2011/02/book-bite-happy-hour-by-michele-scott/ Cheers, Michele P.S. You can pre-order a copy now off of amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Happy-Hour-Michele-Scott/dp/0982788088/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1298913528&sr=1-1

It's funny the things that motivate people. I get asked at writer's conferences a lot of the time what motivates me to write everyday on top of the day job, the family, etc. The answer to that is pretty simple. The first is that I LOVE to write. I love to create stories and characters. My problem is I have so many ideas that my issue is focus! I want to write everything at once and get it out of me and into the world. Patience is not one of my better virtues. It's a lesson I have to really accept. The other thing that motivates me are my family. I want to be able to help provide for my family and do so while doing what I love to do. To me that is the ultimate. Speaking of ultimate--readers are the ultimate motivation. When a reader e-mails me that they love the book or a particular character, it makes my day like nothing else. Finding great talent is another huge motivating factor. Over the weekend at The Southern California Writer's Conference here in San Diego (whic

I posted this same blog on the http://www.equestrianink.blogspot.com/ that I also write on. However, I felt it would pertain to those of you who write and are interested in self-publishing. This weekend I am teaching at The Southern California Writer's Conference. I have done this for the past several years and it's always fun and educational. As traditional publishing is looking at change with the massive growth of e-books and various self-publishing options, this year should be an especially interesting one. When my first book was published back in 2005 (Murder Uncorked), I was bright eyed and in many ways naive. I was so excited to have finally signed a publishing deal. It was for the first 3 books in the Nikki Sands' Mysteries. I had a lot to learn. Nine months later I signed another contract for my Michaela Bancroft series (aka--The Horse Lovers' Mysteries). Both series did well, but my Nikki Sands' Books took off and that was where the publishers' fo

If you read the Nikki Sands' Mysteries (aka Wine Lover's) then you know I like to add recipes and wine pairings. In those chapters of the mysteries where the recipes and wine pairings are included I write a little tidbit about the chapter or Nikki or what she's dealing with. Yes it is author intrusive but it works with these stories. it wouldn't work with my Michaela Bancroft mysteries because Michaela isn't nearly as quirky and nutty as Nikki. Michaela takes a more down to earth approach to life and Nikki is my pie in the sky character. I picked today's recipe from "Murder by the Glass." I thought if you haven't decided what to make for your honey tonight for Valentine's day, you can't go wrong with burger and a salad. Think I'm kidding? I know--you are shaking your head at me thinking, "A hamburger? That is not very romantic." Wrong! Poor red wine and it is--and add the jalapeno for heat and the strawberries on the salad a

OK--I am so going to go on a rant here because I am tired of being the "nice" writer. Well, actually I like being the nice writer as far as my readers go but as far as traditional big house publishing goes, I am done being nice. I am so going the Konrath route. I actually started going that route about 3 months ago--and guess what, my mid-list friends--it is paying off! I have made more at publishing via e-book and through self pubbing through Createspace in the last three months than my first advance. Granted I have a bunch of books available and am writing under a couple of different names, but still--it's working. I know there are the traditionalists out there who will disagree or say that I am naive or stupid or not legitimate any longer. Really? Guess what--I am writing what I want to write and making money at it for a change, which means my bills get paid and I get to spend more time with my family and riding horses. I'm writing under my own deadlines, which w