Meeting People Where They Are

 By Elaine L. Orr

In a discussion about books, libraries, and reading the other day, a small group discussed what they would most like to see libraries do. A dedicated reader said she wished libraries had space for small groups of people (such as family members) to use for quiet time reading together or reading aloud. I don't disagree, but I wished for a way to pull teens into the world of digital reading.

Why digital rather than "actual" books? Experience as a middle school sub lets me see the passion young people have toward all forms of digital access. Yes, games are popular, and social media is the king (or queen) of life for many. I don't see that changing.

Some kids like to read. In a class of 25 there could be three or four who pull out a book when they are done with a test or are in study hall. Some students will also say, "I don't read," if you suggest they pass time with a book.

When I monitored a study hall last week I did something I've never done. I put an earbud in one ear and listened to an Agatha Christie audiobook on my phone. I explained I'd done so because I usually have a book for down times, and had left it in my car. Several students asked how that worked and we talked about it for a minute. 

Though they can't have phones in class in middle school, they all own them. They can get fee audiobooks from the local library. I mostly use Chirp, because I can keep the books. Why couldn't the students use either of those?

I've decided to meet the students where they are, which is using their digital devices. I need to do some research -- for example, could they order digital audiobooks through the school library or does it have to be the public library? There's no point suggesting they do something if I can't answer the ensuing ten questions.

Then, what's the best book to recommend? Could I get a few kids to read the same one and talk about it? I'm going to talk to a few other authors and parents. Book suggestions are welcome.

                                                         *     *     *     *     *     *

 Check out Elaine's web page or sign up for her newsletter

I Must Be Falling for Fall

By Elaine L. Orr

I’ve set a few books in summer and winter, but my season of choice is fall. It may have to do with the beautiful colors, but the temperatures are also pleasant after 90-plus degree weather. 

I'm not sure it's a good thing that I only recently realized that books three, nine and ten aren't set in the fall. Books nine and ten are in winter (because I wanted a certain wedding to take place New Year's Eve), and book three is in spring and summer because I wanted a Fourth of July event.

Here are my fall Jolie Gentil books (with Amazon links).

The prequel – Jolie and Scoobie’s High School Misadventures starts with Jolie's junior year, her only school year in Ocean Alley. It does span the year.

Appraisal for Murder – Jolie passes out Halloween candy as she solves a murder

Rekindling Motives – trouble starts at Jolie and Scoobie’s 10th high school reunion on a Thanksgiving weekend

Any Port in a Storm – think Talk Like a Pirate Day (September 19^th) and hurricane remnants

Trouble on the Doorstep – starts with Super Storm Sandy, the late October storm that wasn’t officially a hurricane

Vague Images – Jolie manages to hit a deer during fall mating season

Ground to a Halt – kidnapping at a Halloween party!

Underground in Ocean Alley -- a nurse is murdered and Aunt Madge runs for mayor

Sticky Fingered Books – October is a time for murder in the daycare center

New Lease on Death – early October blends pumpkin spice coffee with murder

Phoning in a Murder – football season at the high school is not good for the marching band leader

I'm going to have to do some serious planning about books 15 and forward. Future books will occur as Jolie and Scoobie stay in their mid-thirties. Among the reasons is because Aunt Madge couldn't run a B&B into her mid-nineties! Or perhaps she could, but there are steps...

It's now fall in Illinois, where I live. Time to enjoy the mums and plan a new book.

                                                           *     *     *     *     *     *

 Check out Elaine's web page or sign up for her newsletter

Never Forget

By Elaine L. Orr

On September 11th each year, the words "never forget" appear in thousands of articles and cross many more thousands of lips. September 11, 2001 seems like an impossibly long time ago and as if it all happened yesterday. 

I was in Washington, DC, in a building a few blocks from the White House to the West and U.S. Capitol to the East. Our fear of "what's next" was nothing compared to the fear of those stuck in the Twin Towers above the floors where the planes struck. Still, I wouldn't go on the subway, and was prepared to walk to Kensington until a colleague offered a ride.

The photo at left is a thank-you note to police, firefighters, and the Red Cross from a 2nd grade class in Arlington, Virginia. It hung on a fence surrounding Arlington National Cemetery (where my parents now are), across from the damaged portion of the Pentagon. I visited there soon after.

The message is, "Thank you for helping the people at the Pentagon. You are great people for saving others. We know that your job is hard and dangerous. Thank you for protecting us." You can see the other flowers, and there were more spread on the ground. 

Thousands volunteered to give blood most of which, sadly, was not needed. For a brief time we came together as a nation. People were polite while boarding airplanes, we nodded or smiled at strangers.

I hope we never have such an event in our country again, but I wish there could be a way to create the spirit of generosity that followed that terrible day.

                                                              *     *     *     *     *     *

 Check out Elaine's web page or sign up for her newsletter

Questions for an Interview

By Elaine L. Orr

I recently jotted some notes for an interview about my writing and writing practices, and they reminded me why I do what I do.

How long have you been writing?

For probably twenty-five years, I jotted notes and wrote short things and a few plays. Then I decided that writing books was more my style and started doing it seriously in about 2005. The first ones were published at the end of 2010 and beginning of 2011. I don't intend to stop.

Did you always want to be an author? What made you choose the cozy mystery genre?

I wouldn't say always, or I suppose I would have gone into academic writing programs instead of political science. I did take a journalism course right after college and wrote a lot of very boring reports. 

When it comes to fiction though, cozy mysteries were a natural for me. I had always enjoyed traditional mysteries like Agatha Christies or M.C. Beaton's work. I also decided that while some people might not read cozies, they could be read by everyone from high school up. If you write something that has a lot of violence or sex, there are distinct audiences for those, but not everyone wants to read them. Not that everyone wants to read cozies. I occasionally hear someone who has never read one refer to them as too simple. I dare them to write a good one.

Do you have a favorite place to write? 

I write in places with some activity, but not something I’m involved in. That way I feel like I'm with people but I don't have to talk much. Libraries are good and when I first moved to Illinois I spent a lot of time in Starbucks. I can also write at home. It may sound trite, but the hardest thing about that is keeping the cat away from me. I really like her, but she wants to sit on the keyboard or my lap.

Do you prefer to read cozy mystery books, or do you have another favorite genre? What are you reading now?

I read a little bit of everything. I like Anne Tyler, who writes literary fiction. There are still Agatha Christie books I haven't read. I do read some thrillers, from authors such as John Sandford’s Virgil Flowers series or almost anything by Daniel Silva. 

I like books where the characters are compelling. One of my favorite books is Pompeii by Robert Harris. Of course, you know how it's going to end, but the characters he created and the situations he describes are fascinating. 

I'm in a "women of mystery book club" (WOMB). We just finished Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Satanto. What's that saying? So many books, so little time.

                                                             *     *     *     *     *     *

 Check out Elaine's web page or sign up for her newsletter

An Interview with Jazz -- Long Serving Cat

By Elaine L. Orr (with permission of Jazz)

There is one character in every Jolie Gentil mystery, sometimes with a bigger role than others. No, not Scoobie or Aunt Madge -- though they also appear. It's Jazz, Jolie's small black cat. She moved to Ocean Alley with Jolie, so she's been around longer than Scoobie. Jazz does not have a speaking role, but she can answer an interviewer's questions.

 1.    What is your name and your author's name?

My name is Jazz and I've been with my owner, Jolie, for 10 years. My author’s name is Elaine L Orr. She didn't used to include her middle initial, but the same year she started publishing in earnest, someone by the same name also did. What are the odds of that?

 2. What book(s) have you appeared in?  

I appear in the Gentil cozy mystery series, set at the Jersey Shore. There are 14 books in the series, and I also appear and a couple of other pieces. People just can't get enough of me. 

 3.  Please give information about the series.

 As a real estate appraiser in her Jersey Shore town, Jolie’s flexible schedule allows time for trouble. With a name that translates to “pretty nice,” she’s used to teasing, and her embezzler ex-husband taught her a lot about unscrupulous behavior. But stumbling across dead bodies in the middle of the work day? That was a new one. Fortunately, when she and I moved to her great aunt’s B&B at the Shore, she hooked up with old friends and made new ones. Some of them can be helpful in solving mysteries, some not so much. 

I, however, am in every book and I'm always helpful. That's why they put me on the cover.

The most recent book is Phoning in a Murder, which – in addition to a murder – touches on the issue of cell phones in schools.

4. Are you based on a real cat, such as your author's?

 I am a black cat, and proud of my somewhat haughty nature. My author has had two black cats, which were very independent and smart. While she has drawn some of my characteristics from them, I am my own Feline. Her cat, Stella, is shown in the photo. I can climb trees better.

 5. Can you share an excerpt from one of your books that features you in an important scene? If so, please include it.

 In Behind the Walls, I helped keep my owner from pushing up daises. Pebbles, a skunk without scent that had wandered into the house, was of some assistance. My author said to tell you she has put this scene in my point of view, so you get a better idea of my talents.

 Jolie crawled out of the closet and half-crouched. The intruder was still holding the gun. Plus, the intruder’s knee was a very hard place to head butt, and Jolie was dizzy.

“Bitch!” the intruder yelled, and rose awkwardly to her feet.

Apparently, Pebbles likes gunshots even less than strange people, and she darted out from under the bed almost at the intruder’s feet. The woman shrieked and raised a foot to kick her. Faster than Jolie could keep track of me, I launched myself at the robber’s ankle. Pebbles swung around and raised her tail at the woman.

“Get away! Get away!” she screamed.

She raised the gun, but she was really off balance, trying to shake me off her foot. I sank my claws into skin and began to climb.

 A short time later….

 George had hit the intruder and now had the gun. He held it at his side and said, “Stay down there, do not move!”

Jolie looked to her left and saw a white-faced Scoobie.

He then looked toward the floor. “Damn. That is one pissed off cat.”

Only then did I let go of my prey. I had made it up to the woman’s knee.

 6.  What do you like most about your role in your authors' books?

 First, my position is an important one, which is why I am on the cover of all of the books. Second, my owners are trainable. For example, they have finally learned that I am allowed to sit on the small table at the front window. Finally, while I have a role of sorts in every book, it is never an exhausting one. This gives me a time to nap and hide from the toddler twins who now live in my house.

7. Are you a talking cat in your books or a silent one who just meows occasionally?

 I don't speak in the books. My author has wanted to give me a speaking role, but I let her know that I had no intention of interacting with humans besides her any more than I had to.

 8. What advice would you give other cat characters?

 I think it is important to train your owners to provide what you need. I don't believe in this nonsense of being seen and not heard. Meow as much as you like.

9. Are you and/or your author on social media?

 My author is. I have no interest in pounding a keyboard.

https://www.elaineorr.com 

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/elaine.orr1/

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@AuthorElaineOrr

Twitter https://x.com/ElaineOrr55

Irish Roots Author Blog https://elaineorr.blogspot.com/

Newest Jolie Gentil book is Phoning in a Murder

14^th in the Jolie Gentil Series, April 20, 2024

Setting:  the Jersey Shore

Lifelong Dreams Publishing

Paperback 178 pages

ISBN  978-1948-07099-7

Digital ASIN: B0D29VPJ9G

Relative Age is Not Always Kind

By Elaine L. Orr

Note: I wanted to write something about age and writing, but am still ruminating. As I reread other things I'd written on aging, I pulled out a piece from 21 years ago. Still funny to me. You may recognize the irreverent humor seen in the Jolie Gentil series. 

Age is often a question of perception.  In my family – where the first cousins range from 44 to 70 and their children from 2 years (so far) to 50 – age also is a question of much good-natured ribbing.  In both generations, it is my immediate family that has the youngest – my 44-year old brother and his 2-year old son.

 Among my siblings, the spread is 10 years, with me being the oldest.  With such a relatively small span of time (so to speak), you would expect us to all look roughly the same age.  As my nieces would say – not!

 The biggest cause of occasional consternation is my youngest brother, Grant.  First, he is in disgustingly good shape – a walking advertisement for eating healthy and getting regular exercise.  He has little gray and had the good sense to marry a woman 10 years his junior, so people assume he is her age.  This, however, has become somewhat of a problem for me. 

 It may have started at their wedding, when the bride’s mom and I walked down the aisle together to light wedding candles.  (Our mom was ill and could not attend.)  A year later, when meeting some of the bride’s mom’s friends again, one of them commented how nice it was to “see Grant’s mother again.”  Ever tactful, Grant pointed out that she only thought this because of the candle lighting ceremony.  Always ready with a jibe, our brother-in-law George said, “It is not.  She thinks Elaine is old enough to be your mother.”  George does not mind living in a metaphorical doghouse; just ask my sister.

 Perhaps I should be used to this kind of confusion.  Everyone who saw my 47-year old father with his 3-year old son assumed Dad was Grant’s grandfather.  Fortunately, this tickled him to no end.

Miles with 3-year old Grant.
(Photo by Arthur Noma)

 Then there is the issue of how people perceive brother Dan, who is 8 years Grant’s elder.  When our mother was in the hospital one time, Dan and Grant were at her bedside when a nurse came in and asked them to leave briefly so she could attend to mother.  The guys moved to the hall, and they heard mother wake up as the nurse was assisting her.  To orient mother to her surroundings, the nurse informed her that she was in the hospital and “your son and grandson are just outside.”  Grant relays that he had only a second or two to pretend he did not hear or rib Dan.  Of course, he opted for the ribbing.

 Unfortunately, two recent experiences have shown that these mistaken opinions have crossed to another generation.  Recently, Grant’s 5-year old was applying pretend make-up to my face.  She picked up a new ‘jar’ and informed me that she was going to put it on my face because “it’s for old people.” 

 “Am I old?” I asked.

 She gave this some thought and said, “Just a little.”  My sister-in-law had the good manners to be embarrassed.  My brother loved it.

 A few months later, I was again babysitting when little Olivia focused on a couple of small splints on my fingers.  (Never let it be said a writer’s life will be free from arthritis.)  She asked about them, and I remembered what my mother always said to young children who were afraid of her wheelchair.  “You don’t need to worry, ‘Livie.  This kind of thing only happens when people are much older than you.  Plus it doesn’t happen to many people at all.”

 She pondered this for a moment, then asked, “Are you older than dinosaurs, Aunt E?”  I assured her I was not, and – given how much my brother laughed at this – was very surprised not to find a plastic one in my Christmas stocking. 

 The really irritating thing about all this is that our brother Wayne has the least hair, and no one seems to put him in the wrong generation.  Go figure.  My personal equilibrium will be restored when someone thinks my sister is our youngest niece and nephew’s grandmother.  One can hope.

(Twenty-one years later, my sister is a grandmother. She is called GiGi, though at age four one of the kids told her she didn't need "two G's," she could just be Gi.)

                                                                 *     *     *     *     *     *

 Check out Elaine's web page or sign up for her newsletter

Social Media Marketing in 20 Minutes a Day

By Elaine L. Orr

For authors, there's no substitute for meeting readers, librarians, and bookstore owners  face-to-face. Aside from promoting your work, it's a chance to talk books.

If you want to sell books beyond those you can reach in person, you need to advertise. Some ads can be subject-based, even if you write fiction. For example, I've just scheduled some ads about my family history mysteries in publications of the National Genealogy Society. 

Even if you have a traditional publisher, it's up to you to constantly let people know about your books. After all, people can read them for decades, and a publisher can't be expected to promote them that long.

You may hear that all advertising needs to be targeted, but I believe broad -- some would say indiscriminate -- advertising is important. You want to reach people who may not know they would like to read what you write. But you can't spend a lot of money doing that. 

I maintain that twenty minutes a day on social media can make a big difference in sales.

The Most Efficient Way to Organize to Advertise

To spend less time later, you need to assemble short message pieces for each book (or whatever you promote). For each of my thirty-five books, I have several 280-character blurbs that can be alternated on X, where my handle is @elaineorr55. These short blurbs are organized by each of my four mystery series, then by book. 

In case you're counting, that's a lot of draft tweets (okay, posts), and each one contains at least two hashtags. Hashtags are words or very short phrases that begin with the pound sign (#). They help your blurb reach people who have a specific interest.

Why 280 characters? That's the maximum characters for a post on X without paying for their premium membership. Each tweet/post needs to have a link to the item you want viewers to buy. In theory, links don't count toward the 280, but at least some of the characters do, meaning your blurb should probably be less than 280 characters.

Sites such as Instagram and Facebook permit longer postings, so you can add to the basic short blurb. 

Using Graphics Effectively

Pictures draw the eye, so every post needs some kind of graphic. If you don't use any kind of design software (such as Publisher, Photoshop Elements, or Canva), your initial posts can include simply the book cover or something related to the book. 

Some images cost money to download, but you can find free ones. Generally, vectors (which look like cartoons) are more likely to be free. Take photos yourself -- the ultimate free digital content. I buy 100 images at a time from Deposit Photos and it takes years to use them all. They don't expire.

Whatever you do, don't just grab images from the web -- they could be copyrighted.

My graphics are also organized by book, in separate folders on my computer. You don't want to have to hunt for images you've used. The exceptions are folders by holiday. You may simply want to post a Happy Thanksgiving message with a turkey image, or some of your books may have a holiday theme.

Where to Place Your Free Ads

Make no mistake, posts on social media sites are ads. I use Twitter (X) every day for about 10 minutes -- more if I have a new book or am having a sale. It's a quick way to use hashtags to target readers and reaches readers around the world. 

Here's my best tip. Tweets can be scheduled in advance. When I post one, I immediately put that same blurb in a new tweet and schedule it for one or two other days. Scheduling is also great if you're going on vacation or know you'll be busy for a given day or week.

Post (or schedule posts) at different times of day. If you post at dinnertime where you live, it will be the middle of the night somewhere else. I sell books all over the world, and it's largely due to Twitter. I use hashtags such as #KindleUK or #KoboCanada.

Instagram is easy to use and is very image-based. You load the image before you write any text. Because you aren't limited in length you can use more humor or post on a range of topics besides what you're selling. 

When you load a photo to Instagram, it may show only part of it. Look at the bottom left of the photo and there is a small box that lets you pick the ratio of photo to the space it's in. (That may not be the correct terminology -- just try it until the photo looks ok.)

It's easy to see comments on Instagram, and I end up writing short notes to friends or other authors.

TikTok is video-based, and since I don't know much about videos, I delayed using it. Videos can be just a few seconds. In fact, if they're longer they may be hard to manipulate. TikTok is easier to use from a phone. Take the video and load it from that device to TikTok. If you have difficulty, find a high school kid to help.

Facebook is an older app, but is especially useful if your target audience is older than 25. It's important to have a Facebook page for your work and a personal one. You may not want readers or other clients to see photos of your family and friends. You also don't want to alienate readers through opinions you may post on your personal page -- politics and product promotion rarely mix.

The key to effective Facebook exposure is to join a couple of groups related to your interests or products. I belong to several that deal with cozy mysteries, since that's what I write. Don't just post and move on. Interact with some of the others in that Facebook group.

Use hashtags in most of your posts on all the sites so you aren't reaching only people you may already know.

Every site lets you create a profile with an photo of yourself or some other image you like. Do that. If someone likes a post they may want to know more about you.

Building Slowly

If this sounds like too much work, think of it as an investment of time to build your marketing inventory. Once you save posts to a word processing document, you're cutting and pasting more than creating new posts.

Pick a site you're comfortable with and do just that for a few weeks or so. If you like photos, Instagram may be your thing. If you want to use short videos, that's TikTok.

I suggest you use Twitter a lot. It's easy and quick. Don't pay attention to all the negative political posts or character assassinations. There's a tab called profile, and when you click that you see only your posts.

Final Thoughts

Over time, you'll build up followers at each site. You do this by following others and creating interesting posts that encourage people to follow you. Through use of hashtags, you can reach a lot of people before you have a lot of followers. 

Like and repost the posts of others. When you repost theirs, they will repost yours.

Make sure you do some posts that go beyond "buy my book." I love flowers, so I post them on Instagram a lot. I also post vacation pictures and photos of my cat. Never neglect the weather. Deep snow or storm clouds can be eye-catching. Have a hobby? Post those photos -- have some fun. 

Be consistent. If you're only going to post once a month, should you bother? Maybe not. On the other hand, perhaps you only want to post when you have a new book or other produce. Personally, I don't think periodic posting will help with sales. 

Finally, don't get drawn into reading lots of others' posts or surfing social media sites. And keep meeting real people! They're more fun.

                                                                  *     *     *     *     *     *

 Check out Elaine's web page or sign up for her newsletter