Taking Time With Friends! By DL Larson

I'm looking over the Blue Ridge Mts. in GA. The fog has rolled back up into the sky and the greenery glistens like a field of diamonds. We will dine on the open porch for breakfast as the fire crackles and snaps in the huge stone fire place.
They are calling me to come eat ... So I must go .... Talk to you next week!

DL Larson

Www.DLLARSON.com

Kaye George's Alter Ego, Janet Cantrell Offers Great Writing Tips and a New Book!

Janet Cantrell a/k/a Kaye George

Today, I'm happy to present Kaye George a/k/a Janet Cantrell, who has a fun way of dispensing advice through a fictional Aunt Janny column. Morgan Mandel

Janet Cantrell is a pen name for Kaye George, Agatha nominated novelist and short story writer. She belongs to Sisters in Crime, Guppies, and Austin Mystery Writers. 

Her cozy Fat Cat mystery series debuts in September of 2014 with FAT CAT AT LARGE, featuring Quincy, a pudgy, adorable cat who is an accomplished escape artist. Especially when he’s on a diet and hungry. Leave it to Quincy to lead his human, Chase, co-owner of a Minneapolis dessert bar shop, into trouble. 

Janet lives in Knoxville TN with her husband. Her recently departed feline, Agamemnon, is a source for some of Quincy’s antics. 

Visit http://janetcantrell.com/ for more details.

Here's Dear Aunt Janny:

Dear Aunt Janny,

I want to be a writer, but don’t know how to get started. I keep sending my fiction novel to the same agents over and over as I make changes, but I never get it published.

Want To Be A Writer

Dear Want To Be A Writer,

Several things come to mind.

1) Instead of saying you want to be a writer (please don’t capitalize the “A” in your signature), call yourself one. This is part of dressing for success. If YOU don’t call yourself a writer, no one else will.

2) All novels are fiction. If you are asking an agent to read your “fiction novel,” that might be part of your problem. It’s a novel. Period.

3) Send one novel to one agent. If you don’t hear back, or if you get rejected, do NOT send the same novel to that agent again. Honey, you’re going to get yourself on a blacklist. Think this through. If your best friend wanted you to go skydiving with her and you said that you absolutely would not ever do that, would asking you over and over and over change your mind?

4) You ask how to get started. Learn to write. Read, take courses, read, attend writer conferences if you can, read, find a critique group if you can, and read. And write more books. Don’t put all your eggs into one basket.

Good luck and don’t give up,

Aunt Janny

Dear Aunt Janny,

I’m almost finished with my novel. This book is going to blow the socks off the publishing world. It’s the Next Big Thing (in fact, that’s my title—clever, eh?).

My question is, when should I quit my job as a dishwasher? Should I allow a year to get everything settled? Or should I quit as soon as it’s done and concentrate on publicity?

Next Big Writer

Dear Next Big Writer,

You’re jumping the gun just a bit. After you’ve put all the words into the book, it won’t be finished. In fact, you may take another year—or longer—to get it into decent shape. A book is written in the rewrites. Most successful authors put a lot of effort into editing, getting feedback, and polishing.

It sounds like this is your first novel. Are you aware that most writers, even the most famous ones, wrote several novels before they produced one that was publishable? Are you also aware that the average time from beginning to write seriously to being published is ten years?

I hope this hasn’t discouraged you. Instead, when you start sending out Next Big Thing, maybe you’ll be prepared. While you’re trying to get this one accepted, start the Next Bigger Thing.

Don’t quit your job.

Good luck and don’t give up,

Aunt Janny

Dear Aunt Janny,

I don’t think I’ll ever get a book published. I’ve been trying for two years now and have 35 rejections on my first mystery. I’ve even written a sequel, but it already has 12 rejections.

I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. I’ve bought books on writing, joined some online groups, and have taken classes in dialogue, setting, pacing, and even attended one weekend workshop with a well-known agent.

Should I give up and just write for myself?

Discouraged

Dear Discouraged,

You’re doing everything right! You just haven’t given yourself nearly enough time. I hope you haven’t quit your job. You may never be able to do that, but don’t worry, most published writers aren’t living off their writing incomes.

The biggest difference between a published writer and an unpublished one is perseverance. Keep going. You’ll get there.

Good luck and don’t give up,

Aunt Janny

FAT CAT AT LARGE by Janet Cantrell

When she’s not dreaming up irresistible dessert bars for her Minneapolis treatery, Bar None, Charity “Chase” Oliver is running after her cat, Quincy—a tubby tabby with a gift for sniffing out edibles. 

But what happens when this cat burglar leads Chase to the scene of a real crime?

Available now for preorder at:

B&N http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fat-cat-at-large-janet-cantrell/1118663280?ean=9780425267424

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Fat-Cat-At-Large-Mystery/dp/0425267423/

website:  

JanetCantrell.com

Please leave a comment to welcome Kaye/Janet to Book Beat Babes!

Checking Into Our Past! By DL Larson

Traveling down Interstate 95 and 65, I feel like a mouse in a maze. My husband and I were in the D.C. area and making our way south. The tree line continues to close in on us, and I miss the big horizon sky of the Midwest.

We visited Mt. Vernon yesterday. I was surprised to discover this magnificent bit of history was nearly lost forever. Thanks to the Ladies Aide Society for rescuing the estate from ruin. A distant nephew of George Washington had sold much of the 8,000 acres of the family plantation. The last bit, 500 acres, he agreed to sell to the ladies group. The house had already been condemned. These ladies raised money to restore Mt. Vernon to its previous glory. In 1861, they opened the doors to the public. If you are a history buff as I am, then you realize this was during the Civil War.

Our next stop was Williamsburg, Va. More tall trees on both sides of the road is all we see of Virginia. Plus an occasional marsh. Well, okay, lots of marsh. We have no idea what is behind all the trees. We approach an intersection, look both ways and see .... Trees! It's disconcerting not having a focal point. Trees, trees, trees.

Now keep in mind I don't mind trees. I love trees. But I would enjoy a view too. Gazing at marshes leaves me queasy. I don't know what's in those marshes. And I realize I don't know the difference between a marsh or a swamp.  I'm sure I could figure it out ... Marshes have mostly grasses and swamps have trees, but my Midwestern ways lack in specifics.  The rivers are brackish, which means they have tidal salt water affecting them daily, another anomaly as a Midwestern I am not familiar with. Wildlife is surely different as well. We saw a water snake in the James River, but I don't know if that little critter would survive in the Illinois River or not.

Jamestown Settlement was another bit of history that has been documented for us to learn from the past. We visited the settlement today and learned they lived under marshal law. If one did not work, one did not eat. If one missed church for no reason, a public flogging was instituted. Life was tough and having fun or relaxing was not on the menu of things to do. Gambling was forbidden and again, flogging was the punishment.

The Powhatan Indian village helped the settlers many times and for awhile they were friends. Even the Indians used food as incentive for their children to learn. An Indian boy's mother would help him perfect his skill with bow and arrow by throwing clods of dirt or other objects she might find while working in their vegetable fields. If the boy hit his target, he had lunch. If he missed, he went hungry!
Talk about incentive.

Tomorrow we visit old Williamsburg. It should be a great day. The city is nestled in and around groves of trees. Landmarks are far and few between.  It promises to be a challenging drive! One we're looking forward to. Then it's on to the Blue Ridge Parkway to meet up with friends.

Til next time!

DL Larson

Choice One Publishing Co.

Just to let you know I updated my blog for Choice One Publishing Co., which is my personal publishing company's blog. Since it took a while for me to get it up to speed, because I'm not as familiar with Wordpress as I'd like to be, I'll leave you with that link to check it out if you so desire:

http://choiceonepublishing.com/2014/08/13/her-handyman-has-a-sequel/

Find all of Morgan Mandel's Romance, Thriller, and
Mystery Books at her Amazon Author Page:
http://www.amazon.com/author/morganmandel

Excerpts from all of her books are at:
http://morgansbooklinks.blogspot.com

Catch Morgan on Facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/morgan.mandel

Twitter: @MorganMandel

Time Passing at Union Station! by DL Larson

Union Station has many layers to it and I don't mean the different floors and corridors. From the South side, Jackson Street, one is confronted with the large stone edifice. The old world charm of the late 1900's grandeur prevails once stepping through the over-sized doors. The marble flooring and pillars impress the stoutest individual and upon gazing over the balcony into the main lobby, one has to wonder what it must have been like a hundred years ago.

If you are not familiar with Union Station, it is the train depot in downtown Chicago. Walking into the building from Adams Street is a great contrast with its bustling, modern version of the city. Once through the glass doors, escalators send everyone down into the belly of the building. Union Station is a maze. The corridors were probably wide enough at one time in the 1960's, but don't try going against the crowd after a train has unloaded and folks surge for the exits and streets beyond.

The mixed scents of fresh popcorn, hot dogs and cin-nabons remind me of a carnival. Nice for awhile, then not so much. The bathrooms are not near so charming as the main hall. Long lines spill out into the hallway as women wait their turn. Men walk in and saunter out in mere moments, never a line. Every woman notices this discrepancy, but little will be done to fix over-used, too small restrooms.

I waited with my friend to pick up another friend coming in from New Jersey. We arrived at 8:30 a.m. fighting our way across the interstate highways, then to a parking garage across from the train station. At 6:00 a.m. the train's website said the train we waited for was on time and scheduled to arrive at 8:45 a.m. We weren't late! High fives all around for not missing our meet-up!

At 8:45 a.m. the travel board changed to late arrival, a two-hour delay. That changed everything. We now would not be able to make a doctor's appointment, a meeting, or be on time for work. We all scrambled to make the necessary calls and settled in to wait. Actually, we enjoyed the beautiful summer day, and walked the streets of Chicago for awhile. We checked our smart phones to see about the delay. It now read another two-hour delay. We had lunch, knowing we would be facing rush hour traffic on the way home. A nice woman we had been sitting by told us her life story. True or not, I'm not sure, but it helped pass the time. Another woman reminded us to keep our purses and valuables close. She had just witnessed a man arrested for taking someone's bag. "And he was dressed so nice," she added.

We took another walk. We sat in the sunshine. We ate popcorn. We stood in line for the bathroom. We watched the janitor switch one escalator from down to up. Interesting. We had wanted it to go up at one time and had to go around. Then when we were about to go down this escalator, he switched it to go up. We never did get a ride on that escalator.

Five and a half hours later, our train arrived.

I've had to wait in many places for many reasons: the hospital during an operation of a loved one, an airport for a plane to arrive, or stuck in congested traffic. Now I can add waiting for a train to that list. As a writer, I people watched. I noticed what folks carried with them to travel. The business folks were stream-lined with computer packs and a few bags, sensible shoes. Travelers, or so the signs all around stated, were allowed 2 carry-ons, about one size larger than they allow for carry-ons for airplanes. I don't believe many bothered to read those signs. Besides the pillows and stuffed animals, books seemed a favorite and I enjoyed seeing that. Since I love books - real books, I was glad to know many still favored them while traveling. I would say most over-packed as they lugged their bags behind them, back packs and purses dangling at precarious angles.

I hope all the folks I watched yesterday arrived at their destinations in a timely matter. Most looked to be heading for someplace fun. I hope they enjoy their ride. I hope they don't have to endure a five hour delay. But if they do, most will have a book to keep them company!

Til next time ~

DL Larson
www.DLLARSON.com